Destiny
by E350
Summary: The Warlord has finally arrived and is hunting down Danny. The Nicktoons are forced into a fight with the most dangerous enemy they've ever faced, and this time, everything they've ever known is at stake. Rated for safety. Sequel to 'It Came From Retroville'. Danny/Sam, SB/SC, possible Timmy/Dani and Jimmy/Cindy.
1. Prologue

I couldn't help it. I'm so excited! :D

There actually aren't many Nicktoons in this chapter, but this is just the prologue - you'll see 'em soon.

* * *

**Prologue**

_Well, I guess this is my story._

_I'm just an average teenager. I wake up, I go to school, I get pushed around by the A-List and I get solid C-minuses. Then I go out and stop ghosts from terrorising my town with my ghost powers and hang out with a boy genius, a sponge and a kid with fairy programs._

_...okay, maybe I'm _not_ that average._

_That doesn't really matter anymore. Today I face my destiny._

_Destiny isn't set in stone, it's shaped by our decisions, and the decisions of the people around us. For better or worse. I wouldn't be standing here if I hadn't decided to step into the Fenton Portal. None of this would have happened if the Man in the White Suit had been a little more helpful. And who knows what would've happened if my parents had decided to have normal jobs rather than ghost hunters?_

_In the end, when all these decisions and actions ran their course...this is where we ended up. This is my destiny._

_My name is Danny Fenton...and I don't think I'm coming back from this one._

* * *

_Bavaria, April 1945_

"Bombers are clear, sir."

"Alright, Sergeant Edwards, it's time."

Lieutenant Bailey pointed to the duo of jeeps pulled up by the alpine road. His men leapt into them, ready to move out.

_Okay, maybe we need some background. Let's start at the beginning._

"Eyes on the road and keep sharp," ordered Bailey as the jeeps began to move, "Command isn't expecting any resistance here but that doesn't mean you can go to sleep on me."

_That guy? Lieutenant Lionel Bailey. He's an officer in the British Army, back during World War Two. A year ago, he and his men got trapped in the realm of the 'Man in the White Suit', a demonic entity who managed to take over the world for a few days a while back._

The jeeps roared down the hill, heading towards a destroyed base in a valley.

_Now he's in command of a top-secret unit of Allied commandos – Americans, Brits, Canadians, French – tasked with finding any and all information on the Man in the White Suit and his plans._

The lead jeep rolled right through the front gate and pulled over, the second pulling up next to it. The commandos aboard jumped out, spreading out and looking for any signs of trouble.

"Clear!" one yelled.

"So far so good," nodded Bailey, "Dawson, Marlowe, cover the jeeps. The rest of you, on me."

"Wilco!"

_You see, the Man in the White Suit was trying to pre-empt someone called 'the Warlord'. Since nobody wants to tangle with somebody who literally has 'war' in his name, Allied command wanted to be prepared for when he turned up._

Edwards forced a bunker door open, raising his weapon at two hapless guards inside.

"Hande hock!" he shouted in broken German, "Schnell!"

The two guards dropped their weapons and threw their arms up.

_By this time, the German Army had mostly given up, so the main problem wasn't fighting their way to the information they wanted..._

The commandos pushed through the bunker, ignoring the staff as they headed for the command room.

_...it was getting it in _time_._

Bailey and Edwards forced their way into the central command room of the bunker.

An officer was standing in the middle of the room, holding up a file in one hand and a lighter in the other.

"_Deutschland ist Hi-ow!_"

Edwards had thrown his ration tin at him, knocking him to the floor.

Bailey stared at the sergeant.

"...worked, didn't it?" shrugged Edwards.

"Guess so," replied Bailey, crossing his arms.

* * *

About two hours later, a company of American soldiers had arrived at the base and were rifling through the bunker for anything that might be useful. Bailey and his commandos were standing casually next to their jeeps, the officer tied to a nearby pole.

"Tommy mongrel," the officer was muttering, "Don't you know that this is no way to treat an officer?"

Bailey rolled his eyes.

Just then, a olive US Army sedan pulled up in front of them. The driver jumped out, ran around the car and opened the door for its occupant.

The man was short, slightly balding and bespectacled, clad in a drab grey three-piece suit. He looked every bit the pencil-pusher, but the look in his eyes betrayed a sharp mind. He strode purposefully towards Bailey and offered his hand.

"Argus Fletcher, OSS," he introduced, "I'm here on behalf of Colonel Chester Phillips and the Strategic Scientific Reserve."

"He couldn't come himself, sir?" quizzed Bailey, shaking the agent's hand.

"No, he's leading an assault on a HYDRA base," replied Argus, "In any case, did you find anything interesting?"

"Our friend here," replied Bailey, pointing to the officer, "Is one Hauptsturmführer Schrader. Back in '43, he was the German Government's liaison to an individual called 'Der Mann im Weißen Anzug.'"

"The Man in the White Suit," nodded Argus, "Why did he leave them."

"The _schweinhund_," Schrader barked pompously, "Failed to produce anything that could help the Reich attain total victory. The Führer was not a patient man – so we turned to Der Kriegsherr."

"You dealt with the Warlord?" spluttered Argus.

"We _attempted_ to," replied Schrader, "We tried to accelerate his arrival by making a portal into the Ghost Zone. We nearly had it – then the Man in the White Suit found out. He destroyed our equipment – _months_ of hard work, _ruined!_ – and by the time we had regained even a fraction of our progress, your General Patton was crossing the Rhine."

"You poor man," Edwards muttered in mock sympathy.

"They did make a few interesting notes," added Bailey, "Corporal Marlowe, give him the file."

"Oui mousier."

A French commando handed Argus the file.

"Some of it might be hard to read," warned Bailey, "Some bright spark decided to coat it in lighter fluid in an attempt to burn it..."

He glared at Schrader for a second.

"...but they've studied prophecies, ancient runes and word of mouth from the Man in the White Suit," finished Bailey, "Turns out his arrival is _directly_ tied to the existence of man-made ghost portals."

"How so?" asked Argus, flipping through the file.

"They act as beacons to him, like radar," said Bailey, "If you open too many, or build one on a place with a lot of dormant ectoplasmic energy, he takes it as his cue to attack. After that, it's only a matter of months before he gathers his forces and comes through to our world."

"There's a map of the United States here," Argus pointed out, "What's this thing they've circled?"

"It's the highest concentration of dormant ectoplasmic energy in the world," replied Bailey, "The city of Amity Park, Illinois..."

_And, sixty-nine years later, that's where _I _came in..._

* * *

AN: As you might be able to tell by the cameo by Bailey and Edwards, I'm trying to bring back as many characters as I can for the finale.


	2. Chapter One: The Calm

And now, we meet our heroes again!

Review replies;

**Autobot-Outcast:** No love for Bailey? =P Indeed, where else would they go? Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange:** And also some of the not-fun characters! :D Thanks for reviewing!

**SOLmaster:** Well, I'll say this - he's gonna have a pretty trying day. :) Thanks for the review.

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Yyyep, just a bit. ;) Thanks very much!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant: **Well, if you have continuity, why not use it? :) Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter One: The Calm**

_Sixty-Nine Years Later..._

_"__...good morning Amity, it is now half past eight on what's turning out to be a beautiful Saturday morning in our fair city, and that means it's time to go over the headlines..."_

Danny Fenton rolled out of bed, sleepily crawling over to his drawers.

"Uuuggh..." he muttered.

He opened the top drawer, revealing rows and rows of identical shirts.

"...I really gotta get different shirts," he muttered to himself.

He began to get changed, groggily half-listening to the radio.

_"__...electrical energy over New York believed to be normal. Now over to Lance Thunder with the weather, what're we looking at, Lance?"_

_"__We're looking at sunny skies all day, with possible showers after dark. Apart from that, it's another warm sunshiny day in Amity Park..."_

Danny, having finished getting dressed, pulled open his blinds, allowing the sunlight to pour into his room. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Just another perfect day in Amity," he sighed.

He whistled to himself as he headed out the door, heading to the stairs.

He was halfway down the stairs when he was nearly knocked over by a younger girl sliding down the handrail, jumping off at the bottom of the stairs. Catching himself, Danny rolled his eyes.

"_Dani_," he grunted.

"Waffle morning!" exclaimed Dani, running into the kitchen.

Danny shook his head.

"She really needs to stop hanging out with Timmy," he muttered.

He shrugged and strode into the kitchen.

The kitchen was already the scene of an average Fenton family breakfast – Jack and Maddie were tinkering with a very large and quite threatening ecto-bazooka weapon, while Jazz was reading through a psychology textbook and pretending not to notice them. Danny sat down, grabbed a couple of waffles and looked over to his parents.

"So...err...what's that one?" he asked.

"This," boomed Jack, "Is the Fenton Ghost Superblaster! It fires a guided rocket capable of taking down a fully-powered ghost from three blocks away..."

"...just as soon as we get it working," finished Maddie, "Jack, you filled the intake with too much ectoranium."

Jack pulled a sheet of paper from his jumpsuit.

"...darn it, forgot to carry the one," he muttered.

"We'll fix it, sweetie," chuckled Maddie.

There was a sudden beeping, and Maddie glanced at her watch.

"Well, time for our morning ghost patrol!" she said, climbing to her feet, "You ready, Jack?"

Jack leapt to his feet and pointed at the door.

"To the Ghost Assault Vehicle!" he thundered, running to the garage with Maddie close behind.

Danny glanced at Jazz.

"Nothing?" he asked, smirking.

"After seventeen years, you stop feeling embarrassed," replied Jazz.

"True," nodded Danny.

* * *

Quite literally a world away, Timmy Turner was sitting at his own breakfast table, listening to his parents talk about their plans for the day. It was the same as every Saturday – they would go out and do things that made them feel young, and he'd be dumped with Vicky.

"Just another Saturday morning," he whispered.

The Turners got up from the table, both grinning.

"Well!" exclaimed Mr. Turner, "We're off to the ice-skating rink!"

"Didn't you do that last week?" asked Timmy.

"Yes," nodded Mrs. Turner, "And your father broke every bone in his left arm."

"Today I'm gonna break that record!" said Mr. Turner.

"...dad, that's not the point of ice-skating," Timmy reminded.

"It is when you go _extreme_ ice-skating!" replied Mr. Turner.

He and his wife immediately put on football helmets.

"Have fun with Vicky!" exclaimed Mrs. Turner as they ran out the door.

Not two seconds later, Vicky strode in, slamming the door behind her.

"Alright, twerp," she snapped, "Your parents want me to do the gardening, which means_ I _want _you_ to..."

"...I wish you were somewhere else!" blurted Timmy.

There was a poof of smoke and Vicky was gone.

Timmy grinned as green-and-pink salt and pepper shakers and a purple fork appeared on the table.

"So, where'd you send her?" asked Timmy.

"Ah, you know..." replied Wanda, hesitantly.

"...nowhere important," shrugged Cosmo.

* * *

"Well, would you look at that, somebody's having a psychotic episode," said Hugh.

Jimmy Neutron and his father were looking out the window of the kitchen as a familiar looking teenage girl (was that Vicky?) ran around in the street in panic, screaming something about 'bulginess'.

"Well, I guess that means Turner's awake," shrugged Jimmy.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his recaller.

"Jimmy," said Judy, sitting down across from him, "What did I tell you about inventions at the breakfast table?"

"But _mom,_" complained Jimmy, "It's not an _invention_, it's a highly-sophisticated multi-universal communication device!"

He looked down at the table.

"...and I also finished five minutes ago," he added.

Judy crossed her arms.

"Alright, but take it somewhere else," she said, "Your father's still finishing his toast."

They glanced over to Hugh, who appeared to be serenading his toast.

"...and if he keeps singing to it, he'll be there a long time," said Judy, dryly.

* * *

Far away and under the sea, Spongebob Squarepants had just finished breakfast and was just feeding Gary when his recaller beeped.

"Ooh, I wonder who that is?" he asked out loud.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his recaller. A message was displayed on the screen.

_Anyone up for training? –JN._

He was about to reply when another few messages came through.

_do we haf to? – timmy_

_Im doing sum flite training rite now – meet up? – Fenton_

Spongebob grinned.

"Well, Gary, looks like I know what I'm doing today!" he exclaimed.

"Meow?"

"Yep! See you later!" farewelled Spongebob.

He pressed a button on the recaller and opened a portal.

* * *

"Alright, we're all set," said Tucker, pressing a button on his PDA, "Tracking your speed now. Good luck, dude."

Danny was standing on the front steps of Fenton Works, carrying a strange metallic backpack. The Nicktoons, his friends, Jazz and Dani were standing around him, waiting for him to go.

"Okay, go over this again?" asked Danny.

"You run across the road into the alleyway," explained Sam, pointing to the alley, "Jump onto that dumpster, transform and cross the city as fast as you can. Once you're there, stop; catch your breath, then we go for the height test."

"Got it," nodded Danny, "Wish me luck!"

"On three," said Jimmy, "One...two..._three!_"

Danny was off.

He covered the distance between the house and the dumpster pretty quickly, and leapt onto the dumpster in a single bound. Jumping again, he transformed mid-leap and began to fly.

Few feelings on Earth were quite comparable to flight – to the feeling of the wind in your face and the rush in your ears. It was an exhilarating and yet relaxing feeling, and was probably Danny's favourite perk of being half-ghost.

All too soon, however, he was forced to come to a stop as he reached the city limits. Landing next to a tree, he put a finger over his ear and spoke into his Fenton Phones.

"How'd I do?" he asked.

_"__You got an average speed of 600mph, peaked at 655,"_ replied Jimmy, _"Not bad._"

"Not bad?" scoffed Danny, "What, you think you could fly faster?"

_"__With the right modifications to my jetpack, yeah."_

_"__Save it for later, guys,_" interrupted Dani, _"It's height time."_

"What's my record?" asked Danny.

_"__Last time we made 20,000 feet,"_ replied Jazz.

"I can beat that," said Danny, cockily.

"_You had a jet that time,_" reminded Spongebob.

"I've been practising," shrugged Danny.

_"__Well, I guess we'll find out,"_ said Timmy, _"Liftoff in five...four...three...one!_"

Danny rolled his eyes and thundered into the air.

Below him, the city of Amity Park shrank into the distance and he roared through the clouds, eyes closed and grinning wildly. He could just barely hear Tucker counting up his height in his ear, focusing hard on getting as high as he could.

Higher and higher he flew – five thousand feet, ten thousand feet, fifteen thousand feet – until eventually he'd passed his record. He was still showing no sign of stopping.

_"__Impossible!"_ he heard Jimmy exclaimed, _"He can't have improved _that_ much since..."_

_"__Hey, Neutron,_" Timmy chuckled, _"Just let him do his thing, alright?"_

Danny smirked and opened his eyes.

It was at that point he saw the fighter jet coming straight at him.

"Gaaah!" he exclaimed, dodging out of the way as the jet thundered past.

_"__Danny? Danny, you okay?" _exclaimed Sam.

"I'm fine," replied Danny, watching the jet vanish into the distance, "Some people just...don't look where they're flying, I guess."

He rubbed the back of his head, blushing a little.

"Well, there goes all my momentum," he grumbled, "How'd I do?"

_"__28,000ft, dude,"_ congratulated Tucker, _"New personal best!"_

_"__That'll do for today,"_ nodded Jimmy, _"Come on, we've got...hold on..._"

Danny waited impatiently for Jimmy to come back on.

_"__We got a problem,"_ said Jimmy, _"City museum, it looks like Zwarte Pete escaped from the Observants..._again. _We'll meet you there."_

Danny nodded and looked down towards the museum.

"Just another day in Amity Park," he shrugged, diving back down towards his city.

* * *

Deep in the Ghost Zone, Walker was striding through his prison, Bullet by his side.

The prison was in chaos. The guards were packing everything up, and their prisoners were clutching at the bars, trying fruitlessly to escape. It was no less chaotic outside, of course, and not just in the usual Ghost Zone sense of the word.

The Warlord was coming, and nobody wanted to be here when he arrived.

"Warden!" someone called, "A word, perhaps?"

Walker stopped and turned to one of the cells.

Professor Calamitous, Crocker and Plankton were huddled in a cell, looking expectantly at him.

"This, um, Warlord fellow," gulped Calamitous, "He's a bit of a...err...problem, isn't he? Would you care to...um...um..."

"Let you out?"

Walker chuckled darkly.

"You wanted to break out my prisoners, boys?" he snarled, "Well, by all means – break yourselves out."

He grinned nastily and walked away.

"Well," shrugged Plankton, "We're in trouble..."

* * *

AN: Yaaaay! They're doomed!


	3. Chapter Two: The Warning

Emergency. Emergency. There is an emergency going on.

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Well, I'm hardly going to forget about them. ;) Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** Yeah, that calm might not last. :D Yeah, he'll need the practice. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Well, you're optimistic. :| Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Foreshadowing? Hmm...perhaps. Here's hoping I don't disappoint when he does arrive. Thanks very much!

**AutobotOutcast:** ...oh yeah I forgot the jetpack. Umm...stilldoesn'tcount. Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Warning**

Agent Dorian Fletcher glanced at his watch as he walked through the concourse of Grand Central Station.

"Four hours," he muttered to himself.

"We'd have been here sooner if you hadn't made us take the train," grunted his partner, Agent Jonah Thompson.

"Jonah, do you really wanna have to get through New York traffic?" demanded Fletcher, "Can't be done!"

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a phone. He pressed a red button on the top and put it to his ear.

"Techie!" he said, "Any news from our British friend?"

_"__Plenty. Do you want the bad news or the horrible news?_"

"Lay it on me, techie," sighed Fletcher.

_"__We've got epicentres on the energy build-ups," _replied the techie, _"So far we have confirmed activity over the Empire State Building, the Kremlin, the Forbidden Palace and New Parliament House..."_

"New Parliament what?"

_"__In Canberra. It's like the Capitol Building for the Australians."_

"Gotcha," nodded Fletcher, "I'm gonna guess that that isn't a coincidence."

_"__Atkinson's pretty certain it isn't,"_ agreed the techie, _"He's trying to send out a warning, get people away from those places; dusting off the old 'gas leak' routine. Anyway, that's the _bad_ news."_

"So that _isn't_ the worse news?" asked Fletcher as he and Thompson walked out of the station.

_"__Not even close,"_ admitted the techie, _"We've got no idea where the Warlord is coming out, what he's sending where or even what's going to happen when he arrives. We _think_ he might be using the energy build-up to open portals. We've also stepped up aerial overwatch of Amity Park in case he tries the Fenton Portal..."_

"He won't," snapped Fletcher, "That's too obvious."

_"__...so is New York."_

"Good point," grunted Fletcher, "But it seems stupid – I mean, Phantom's _right there_, to say nothing of the world's most grotesquely overfunded ghost-hunting agency, otherwise known as the Guys in White – yeah, he won't try it, it'd be suicide."

_"__Whatever you say, Fletcher," _replied the techie, uneasily, _"You headed to the Chrysler Building?_"

"It was the Man in the White Suit's base, so there's gotta be some intel there," nodded Fletcher, "I'll call you when I get there. Fletcher out."

He hung up the phone.

"Nice kid," he muttered, "But sometimes he's way too pessimistic."

* * *

Colonel R. Atkinson stood in a massive underground facility underneath a military base in Hereford, somewhere roughly in the middle of England. Around him, his men were busily grabbing every file and box they could carry – the base was being moved.

It was a decision made well in advance. With no sign of ectoplasmic activity in the British Isles, his organisation – the Royal Extraterrestrial Research Enclave – was free to move from its static underground base to a more mobile position.

RERE had been created in the late 1940s as a secret organisation dedicated to protecting the country from extraterrestrial and paranormal threats – or at least, that's what it was on paper. In actuality, it had been founded by Major Lionel Bailey with the support of the newly-created SHIELD for the express purpose of researching a way to stop the Warlord.

Seventy years later, and the only thing they had come up with required relying on a teenager and his weird team of friends.

"Sir, Fletcher's made it to New York."

Atkinson's deputy, Captain Simon Richardson, walked up behind and saluted.

"Then it's time for us to leave," nodded Atkinson, "Come along."

"Sir, are you sure you shouldn't wait?" asked Richardson, "We just finished Project Titan, we should run tests to make sure..."

"There's no time, Captain," said Atkinson, "We shall just have to hope it worked..."

* * *

"You're late, Phantom," said Valerie, crossing her arms.

Danny and the Nicktoons had arrived at the city museum to find Valerie (and a couple of nervous looking policemen) holding a cuffed Zwarte Pete on the front steps.

"Wait, you caught him yourself?" asked Danny, sounding impressed.

"I wish," grunted Valerie, "He didn't even fight back."

"There is no point," interrupted Pete, "Wasting energy on you would be as good as signing my own death warrant. Besides, I can easily escape any of your human prisons."

"Death warrant?" quizzed Jimmy.

"Uh-huh," said Danny, rolling his eyes, "So, how'd you slip the eyeballs, Pete?"

"I didn't 'slip' the Observants," replied Pete, "They had already fled when I woke up this morning."

"Fled?" demanded Timmy, "From what?"

"The Warlord is coming," said Pete.

There was a very long silence.

"How long?" asked Jimmy.

"He will be here before the sun sets," replied Pete, "And he will cut through you like a hot knife through butter."

"Yeah, whatever you say," said Danny, raising an eyebrow cockily, "Look, we've done this before, Pete. We've beat Pariah Dark, the Mawgu, the Man in the White Suit and – oh yeah – _you._ We've got this."

Pete shook his head.

"Arrogance will get you nowhere, Mr. Phantom," he snapped, "The Warlord is a far greater threat than I, or _anything_ you've faced."

He looked Jimmy in the eyes as a paddy wagon pulled up in front of them.

"You, the smart one," he growled, "I'm sure you're familiar with J. Robert Oppenheimer?"

"Yeah," nodded Jimmy, "Why?"

"Because when the Warlord comes through, well..."

He chuckled as the policemen began to walk him to the wagon.

"...I am become death, destroyer of worlds."

He was pushed into the back of the wagon and locked inside. One of the police officers tipped his hat to Danny and climbed in as they drove away.

"Well, he's pretty cheery," grunted Valerie.

"What was he talking about?" asked Spongebob, nervously.

"It's a quote," replied Jimmy, "From one of the inventors of the atomic bomb."

"He is _so_ full of it," snapped Timmy.

"I think he might be serious," argued Jimmy, "I mean, the Man in the White Suit said the same sort of thing, and so did Agent Fletcher..."

"Yeah," nodded Danny, crossing his arms, "One of those guys was evil and the other one is some kind of paranoid secret agent."

He shook his head.

"I mean, what's the worst thing that's ever happened to us?" he demanded, "Every time we get told about some kind of world-ending monster we beat it, and the worst thing that ever happens is some cars get crushed."

"And it's never even our cars," grinned Timmy.

"We don't _own_ any cars," Jimmy pointed out.

"Come on," shrugged Danny, "We'll all head home, get some lunch and wait for him to turn up. You'll see, it'll be easy."

He turned around and started walking down the road, whistling to himself. Timmy and Spongebob looked at each other, shrugged, and followed on.

Jimmy sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.

"This happen to you a lot?" asked Valerie.

"You have no idea."

* * *

AN: Poor Jimmy.


	4. Chapter Three: The Last Minute

This is the last chapter of build-up. I am quite excite.

Review replies;

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Yeah, just a bit. ;) Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Probably. :) Also, I'm afraid it's too late - his cockiness has reached critical levels. Thanks for reviewing!

**SOLmaster:** Such is the burden of being a genius. =P Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Oh, that shoe will drop, don't worry. Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Last Minute**

"...alright, let's try this again," said Calamitous.

He and Crocker charged at the prison gates, carrying the Box Ghost as a battering ram. There was a loud crash, and all three slammed into the gate, but nothing happened.

"Well, that didn't work," grumbled Plankton, standing well back with his arms crossed, "What now?"

The prisoners had escaped their cells (the power had gone out not long after Walker left – as it turned out, energy walls didn't work without power) but had so far failed to get out of the prison itself. The walls were too high to climb, and the floor was concrete so they couldn't dig their way out. They were stuck – and there was a very real fear that they wouldn't be out by the time the Warlord arrived.

"Okay," wheezed Crocker, "I think I heard the lock break. We just need one more charge. What do you say?"

"I am the Box Ghost!" thundered the Box Ghost, "No door can resist my cardboard wrath!"

The Syndicate collectively facepalmed.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Calamitous, sighing, "Okay...three...two...on-"

The gate burst open.

A row of eight-foot tall ghosts marched in the gates, aiming massive guns at the prisoners. Each of these ghosts wore grey steel helmets, gas masks and long trench-coats. Their eyes glowed red, and steam seemed to seep out of the edges of their masks. Their weapons were a rusty red, with massive barrels that glowed bright yellow. Behind them, wispy, blob-like shadows soared through the gates, flying around the prisoners as they backed into the courtyard.

To the left and right, the walls burst open, and more soldiers and shadows emerged from the holes. In seconds, the prisoners were trapped between them and the wall of a blockhouse behind them.

"...well, it's open," said Plankton, nervously.

"Convicts!"

A ghostly figure strode through the soldiers in front of them, coming to a stop in front of the prisoners. He wore a very large bicorn hat and a blue-and-white eighteenth-century uniform. He calmly put one hand behind his back and tucked the other in the coat of his jacket.

Calamitous shook his head.

"Are you kidding?" he spluttered, "The Warlord is..."

"_Non_," replied the man, "I am not the Warlord, merely a lieutenant."

He began to pace in front of the prisoners.

"My name is Napoleon Bonaparte," he said, "You may have heard of me. I am a general and recruiter for the Warlord's armies."

"_Napoleon?_" gasped Penelope Spectra, who was towards the front of the crowd.

"C-can I have your autograph?" stammered Plankton.

Napoleon stopped, and turned to look the prisoners in the eye.

"I am here to offer you a choice," he stated, "Join our grand army and stand side by side with your ghost brethren...or suffer the consequences."

"What consequences?" demanded the Box Ghost, "How do you plan to destroy my boxy..."

"Who are you?" snapped Napoleon.

"I am the Box Ghost!" proclaimed the Box Ghost, raising a fist.

Napoleon nodded.

"Kill him."

The ghost soldiers aimed their weapons. The Box Ghost threw his hands in the air.

"I-I was only kidding!" he shouted, "It-it was a joke!"

Napoleon rolled his eyes and raised an arm. The soldiers lowered their guns.

"So," he sneered, "Do we have an accord?"

"W-well yeah," gulped Crocker, "Bu-but we're not actually ghosts."

"Don't worry," replied Napoleon, "You will be."

He pointed to the prisoners. The shadows soared at them and began to circle around them. They were slow at first, but they grew faster and faster until they were a blur ringing around them.

"Soldiers," said Napoleon, "What does the Warlord demand of you?"

"Fealty," replied Calamitous, his eyes turning red.

"Uh...Finbarr?" gulped Plankton, "What're you-"

He shuddered as his eye changed colour.

"Loyalty," he growled.

"Obedience," added Crocker, his eyes changing colour behind his glassed.

"Talent," said the Box Ghost.

"Ruthlessness," finished Spectra, smirking as her eyes changed.

"Very good," nodded Napoleon.

He turned to his men.

"Gentlemen," he snapped, "Sound off!"

The soldiers launched into a marching chant.

"_We are soldiers of the Warlord, we march in rank and file,_

_We have no shred of mercy to the foe whom we revile,_

_We fall upon the enemy like waves upon the sand,_

_We are the grim destroyer that descends upon their land,_

_The fire rolls beside us as we beat the Devil's drum,_

_The hellish sound before which none can help but to succumb,_

_We are the violent avatar for all your greatest fears, _

_We are the Warlord's Army, we care not for your tears."_

* * *

"...we care not for your tears," Fletcher read from the file, "Geez, they could use a PR department."

He sighed and threw the file away.

"Well, this was a waste of time," he muttered.

The Man in the White Suit's throne room was still mostly intact, although bits had been stripped away by the CIA for 'testing'. What remained was a few notes regarding the Warlord's forces, but nothing on his plans or his goals.

"What do we do?" asked Thompson, "We might be able to get back to Washington before..."

"Out of the question, Jonah," snapped Fletcher, "This is the largest city in the country. We don't leave until the Warlord does."

He began to pace back and forth by the window.

"Colonel Atkinson sent us here for a reason," he said, "It can't just have been to dig for intelligence. There's gotta be something..."

"Maybe he wants us to find allies?" asked Thompson.

"And where, pray tell, are we gonna find them?" demanded Fletcher, "We're in a city of thirty million! Where..."

He trailed off as Thompson pointed behind him.

He turned around, looking at a modern-looking tower with a single letter A on the top.

"...you gotta be kidding me."

* * *

"Hey Timmy," said Jimmy, walking into the Fenton's kitchen, "You wanna go to New York?"

"No," grunted Timmy.

"Too bad."

He threw a newspaper onto the table.

Timmy, Dani and Spongebob had been sitting in the kitchen eating lunch. Downstairs, the others had been preparing a variety of ghost weaponry for the Warlord's arrival, taking shifts to eat.

Timmy grabbed the newspaper and dragged it over.

"Humanoid robot sighted over New York City; Stark questioned," he read, "How does this concern us?"

"Look at the picture," replied Jimmy, pointing at a photograph beneath the headline.

Timmy and Dani leaned over it.

"...is that Jenny?" quizzed Dani.

"Yep," nodded Jimmy, "And I want you to go find her."

"Pass," grumbled Timmy.

"We'll do it," nodded Dani, putting a hand over Timmy's mouth, "We might need her help fighting the Warlord."

"Might?" said Jimmy, "Guys, we need everyone we can get. Danny might not take the Warlord seriously, but I do."

"How exactly are we getting to New York?" demanded Timmy.

"I'll key it into your recallers," replied Jimmy, "Finish lunch and meet me out front."

"Aye aye, Jimmy!" exclaimed Spongebob, jumping to his feet and saluting.

"Not you, Spongebob," said Jimmy, "You stay with us."

Spongebob deflated a little and sat down.

* * *

Atkinson and Richardson sat in a helicopter, looking at their watches.

"Twenty minutes, sir," stated Richardson.

"Here we go," whispered Atkinson.

* * *

AN: I couldn't resist putting Napoleon in something. He won't be a main character, but he's there and I'm happy.


	5. Chapter Four: The Warlord

In which the excrement hits the rotating temperature control device.

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** Or as _Hark! A Vagrant_'s version, for that matter. :D Thanks for reading!

**Night-Waker: **And that's not all! But I don't wanna spoil too much. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**SOLmaster:** It is, a bit. Don't think they deserved that. :| Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Oh, I think I'll mention Russia somewhere. :D And the answer to your question - yeah, a few, but probably only cameos. Thanks very much!

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Yeah, I figured bringing her back might be a bit popular. :D Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Warlord**

"Fifteen minutes," noted Thompson.

"I _know_, Jonah," grunted Fletcher.

The two agents walked into the concourse of Stark Tower, marking their way to the front desk.

"May I help you?" asked the receptionist.

"Fletcher and Thompson, CIA," replied Fletcher, "We need to see the owner."

"...and do you have an appointment?" demanded the receptionist.

"Yep," nodded Fletcher, "It's called Armageddon."

* * *

Danny, Jimmy and Spongebob were standing in front of the Ghost Portal. The former was in ghost mode, and his companions were armed with the 'Jack-o-nine-tails' and the Anti-Creep Stick respectively.

"Why do I get the feeling I got the short end of the stick here?" asked Spongebob, looking at the bat.

"It's probably nothing," shrugged Danny.

There was a sudden beeping from the portal.

"Ghost proximity detector," nodded Danny, "It's nearly time."

He looked over to Jimmy, who was starting to breathe heavily.

"Come on, Jim, it'll be easy," he reassured.

"I wish I shared your confidence, Danny," gulped Jimmy.

* * *

"Uh, that was horrible," grunted Fletcher and he and Thompson entered the elevator, "Thought we'd never get past that secretary..."

Suddenly there was a beeping from his jacket. Fletcher pulled out his phone and answered as the lift doors closed.

"Lay it on me, tech."

_"__Are you anywhere near the Empire State Building?"_ demanded the techie, his voice somewhat frantic.

"No, I'm at Stark Tower," replied Fletcher, "Why, is the portal opening?"

_"__You could say that,"_ said the techie, grimly, _"The energy build-ups are starting to behave like wormholes. They're beginning to suck matter up towards them."_

"...what're you saying, techie?" asked Fletcher, nervously.

_"__It'll suck the buildings up,"_ replied the techie, _"Rip them from their foundations, crumble them in the air, and when the rubble reaches the right altitude...big bang, portal opens._"

Fletcher's eyes widened in horror.

"They're not landing on the buildings," he realised, "They're destroying them."

"It's a demonstration," nodded Thompson, "Of the Warlord's power over us."

"Techie, how do we prevent this?" demanded Fletcher.

_"__Prevent it? Dorian, it's already begun."_

* * *

At the top of Stark Tower, a portal opened. Timmy and Dani stepped out, the former shuddering a little in the cold afternoon breeze. Cosmo and Wanda were also present, disguised as the Starflinger and Timmy's backpack respectively.

"Well, here we are in New York," Timmy grumbled, "No sign of Jenny. Let's go home..."

"Timmy," said Dani, pointing towards the Empire State Building, "Look."

Timmy looked. His jaw dropped.

The wind was blowing straight towards the building, creating a dim whirlwind around the structure.

* * *

Jazz was sitting in front of the TV, channel-surfing for anything that might be connected to the coming Warlord. So far, she'd found a live debate by the Australian parliament on the study of ectoplasmic science. They were discussing ectoplasmic build-up over the capital of the country.

"_...if I have said it before, I have said it a thousand times – the Opposition's blind faith in this..._unproven_ field of 'ectoplasmic science' would have the entire budget diverted to-"_

The whole building shook, and Jazz fell off the couch.

"The heck?" she muttered, climbing to her feet.

She looked at the TV. The debate had stopped, the politician speaking glancing around nervously, his papers on the floor. It was as if he too had just been struck by a small earthquake.

"...that's impossible," she whispered to himself.

The building shook again, and she nearly lost her footing. There was a bang, and the television turned off.

* * *

The elevator slammed to a halt.

"Oh, for the love of-" cursed Fletcher.

"Hold on," replied Thompson, calmly, "I've got an idea."

He pointed to a small emergency flap on top of the elevator.

"...Jonah, he's on the top floor," reminded Fletcher.

"Then we'd better start climbing," shrugged Thompson.

* * *

Danny, Jimmy and Spongebob stood in the now dark lab, lit only by the light of the portal. The building continued to shake, and even Danny was starting to look nervous.

"Come on, guys," he said, clenching his fists, "We've been through worse. He's just trying to scare us..."

Suddenly a massive ectoblast emerged from the portal, slamming into Spongebob and sending him careening up the stairs. Jimmy barely had time to shout out before another beam hit him, sending him flying after his friend.

"Spongebob! Jimmy!" shouted Danny.

The lab shook again. Caught off guard, Danny fell to the ground. There was the faint sound of roaring wind outside, and the portal began to ripple violently.

Then, he emerged.

The Warlord was extremely tall, reaching ten feet, and his bulk was increased by the brass-coloured platemail armour he wore. His skin was pale and almost rotting, and he was bald – his face looked almost like a skull. A massive sword was sheathed on his waist. His armour was mostly plain, although the pauldrons were lined with gold. A light sneer crossed his face, and he pierced Danny with a stare from fiery yellow eyes. A ghostly aura surrounded him – it looked like he was surrounded by fire.

"Phantom," he whispered, "Your destiny awaits."

"Get out of my house," Danny whimpered, trying and failing to sound brave.

The Warlord didn't reply, instead looking over the teenager at his feet.

"You have more power in you then I had dared imagine," he declared, "You will make a perfect heir."

"Not likely," snapped Danny, climbing to his feet, "You hurt my friends."

"I will do far more than that, Phantom," replied the Warlord.

He reached down and grabbed Phantom by the neck.

"I can make you great, Phantom," he said, ignoring Danny's squirming and his feeble attempts to kick his captor, "I want you to think about that – and what will happen if you refuse me."

He allowed himself a small smirk.

Then he threw Danny through the lab roof.

* * *

Jazz jumped as Danny burst through the floor next to her, landing hard against the wall.

"Danny!"

Danny coughed, and climbed to his feet.

"We have to leave," he muttered, "_Now._"

Suddenly, there was a massive roar and gravity gave way.

* * *

Jimmy opened his eyes. He had landed across the street from Fenton Works, thankfully on something soft. He looked around to see if Spongebob had landed near...

...oh.

He got up, apologising to Spongebob for landing on him, and looked across the street.

"Gas Planet," he cursed, "I _knew_ he wouldn't be that easy! We need to..."

His jaw dropped.

Before him, the very building was slowly lifting up out of its foundations in a gust of upward wind. With a loud crash, the massive neon sign was torn from the wall, falling to the earth and shattering on the road. The Emergency Ops Centre was also ripped free of the building, which was slowly being ripped apart, brick by brick.

"...we're gonna need back-up," gulped Jimmy.

* * *

Timmy and Dani watched in shocked awe as the Empire State Building began to lift into the air, the glass windows ripping out and falling upwards like the flakes in a snowglobe. The spire snapped from the rest of the building and slowly disintegrated.

They were not the only ones. Down below, the city that never slept had come to a stand-still as all eyes fell on the collapsing building – and the cloudy red vortex that was forming above it.

* * *

For a moment, Danny was lost in vertigo as he floated in the family room (although given that the walls were falling apart, the distinction probably didn't matter.) When he finally regained his bearings, the walls had long collapsed, revealing the city outside.

"Phantom," a voice snarled, "Face me."

Danny turned around. The Warlord was standing behind him, hold Jazz by the neck.

"Let her go," demanded Danny, clenching his fists, "I'm the one you want."

"Indeed," nodded the Warlord, "But her life is..._irrelevant._"

Ectoplasmic fire covered his fist and he pulled it back, ready to swing it.

"Police!"

Danny, Jazz and the Warlord looked down. Several squad cars had arrived below them, and a dozen police officers had emerged. One of them – probably their leader – was holding a megaphone.

"Drop the girl and put your hands in the air!" he bellowed.

The Warlord smirked.

"Very well, constable."

He threw Jazz off to the side and raised his hands in a lifting motion. In a thunderous roar, the tarmac underneath the police officers and their cars was ripped upwards, and they too began to be pulled uncontrollably upwards.

Danny wasted no time, flying after Jazz and reaching out to her. Jazz reached out, just managing to grab his arm in time for him to pull her away from being hit by one of the police cars. He pulled her close.

"Hang on," he instructed.

With a jolt, he flew forward, away from the destroyed Fenton Works.

* * *

"Moscow."

Atkinson looked intently at a small tablet. On the screen, St. Basil's Cathedral was being lifted into the sky. Surrounding civilians and police watched in slack-jawed amazement as the famous spires turned to dust before their eyes.

"Beijing."

The scene changed to a panoramic view of the Forbidden Palace. The portrait on the gate was torn free and soared upwards, followed soon after by the gate itself. The bridge ahead of it began to tear itself up, one span at a time.

"Canberra."

The scene changed again to a view of the modern, boxy shape of New Parliament House. The Australian flag was ripped from its pole, followed by the pole itself. Soil from the lawn raised into the sky like an upside-down rainstorm.

Atkinson shook his head.

"Did we evacuate them in time?" Richardson asked nervously.

"Mostly, yes," nodded Atkinson, "They didn't believe us when we said it was ghosts, but they erred on the side of caution."

He paused.

"On the other hand, I'm fairly certain the Australian Parliament was in session, but they might have evacuated in time."

"Sir!" the helicopter pilot called, "ETA five minutes on the _Valiant_. Stand by for landing."

* * *

Danny landed a few blocks away from Fenton Works, setting Jazz down gently. The two siblings watched as the remains of their home – now little more than dusk – ascended into the vortex in the sky.

Then, quite suddenly, it exploded, and the sky was ripped open.

"Oh my gosh," whispered Jazz, "He can't have..."

"He has," nodded Danny, "He's ripped open a portal right above Amity Park."

"But why?" demanded Jazz, "He already had ours!"

"Yeah," said Danny grimly, "_But it wasn't big enough._"

Out of the portal, descending slowly to the ground, came hundreds of the Warlord's soldiers.

* * *

AN: Let nobody say I let my homeland off easy.

Incidentally, should I move this up to T, or is it fine where it is? I have absolutely no intention whatsoever of going up to M level, but I _may_ need a low-T rating.


	6. Chapter Five: The Storm

Oooh, stormy.

Thanks for the input, everyone! I think I'll move it up, just to err on the side of caution.

Review replies;

**TweenisodeOrange:** I heart puns. Thanks for reading!

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** In-deedy. Thanks for reviewing.

**SOLmaster:** Yeah, it's not gonna be easy at all. Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Entrance making is one of the most important villain skills, you know. :P A jab at my government? _Naaaah_. :D Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Storm**

The _Valiant _was an aircraft carrier – but not in the same sense as a normal carrier.

The pride of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT for short), the massive flying carrier had been built by the British Government by order of aspiring Prime Minister Harold Saxon. For reasons that are not important to this story, Saxon's term as PM was cut short a few days in, but the _Valiant _remained in service as a mobile platform for UNIT scientific and military operations worldwide.

She was also without a commander – her commanding officer was out meeting officials in Washington DC, and her science officer, who would usually take command when the CO was away, had been attending a conference in New York.

It was for this reason that Colonel Atkinson found himself in charge the moment he stepped on the deck of the flying ship.

"I'm surprised you appointed me," he mused as he walked to the bridge, escorted by a young and nervous officer called Major Gidley, "I'm not a member of UNIT, after all."

"It's not exactly uncommon, sir," shrugged Gidley, "We take orders from not-UNIT fellows quite a lot around here."

The two men walked onto the bridge, encountering a man in a lab coat, whose back was turned.

"Here's the deputy head of the science team," introduced Gidley, "Colonel – Doctor James Thourrel. Doctor, this is the commander of RERE."

Dr. Thourrel turned around and grinned.

"Marvellous!" he exclaimed, "A pleasure, Colonel!"

The Colonel blinked.

"When they said they were leading me to the Doctor, I thought they were talking about someone else," he muttered.

He shook his head.

"Never mind," he shrugged, "Doctor, I need your men to do three things for me."

"Name them, good sir," Thourrel nodded.

"Number one – I need to set up lab facilities somewhere on this ship. Number two – I need immediate contact established with Director Fury and SHIELD, as well as any other secret organisations you can patch in. Number three..."

He paused to allow tension to build up.

"...set a course for Amity Park."

* * *

"Well," said Timmy, looking up at the vast army descending from the sky, "We're doomed."

"We're not _totally _doomed," gulped Dani, nervously, "I mean, there...there's a lot of 'em, but..."

There was a loud slam, and both of them jumped.

The ghost of an eighteenth century gentleman, short in stature and dressed in an immaculate blue-and-white uniform, had been slammed with great force into the concrete roof. He was complaining loudly at his assailant – a robotic figure who was walking slowly towards him, fists clenched.

"Do you know who I am?" thundered the ghost, "I am Frederick the Great, King of the Prussians! Unhand me, you metallic we-ouch-ouch-ouch-ouch!"

The robot had picked him up by the arm.

"Where is my mother?" she growled.

"I have no idea, you strange creature!" thundered Frederick, "I don't even know who _you_ are! Now unhand me or I will have you..."

"'Sup Jenny," said Timmy, waving casually.

Jenny looked over to them, finally noticing that they were there.

"Timmy, Dani!" she exclaimed brightly, waving and inadvertently throwing Frederick away with great force, "What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you," replied Dani, grinning, "Good to see you again!"

"Yep," nodded Timmy, "Now let's go home, we need..."

He pulled his recaller out of his pocket and frowned.

"...my recaller is dead," he muttered, "Great. Just great."

He sighed heavily and put it back in his pocket.

"So, now that we're stuck here," he grumbled, "What're you doing here?"

"I work here," replied Jenny, crossing her arms.

Timmy blinked.

"You got a _job?_"

"Sorta," shrugged Jenny, "It's more like an arrangement, actually. Come on, I'll show you."

She walked back towards the building's roof access. Timmy and Dani glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed.

* * *

"...so we built a cordon around Fenton Works, they rolled over it," explained the chief of the Amity Park Police, "We made a second cordon, they rolled over _that_. Long story short, we've lost half the neighbourhood to them, and we have no idea how to stop them."

Vlad sat at his desk, head in his hands. The distant wail of an air-raid siren rang in his ears, as did the dull pounding of explosions. Around him, Damon Grey was leaning against the wall and tapping on a phone, while Agent Coulson stared out the window, arms crossed.

"Thank you, chief," sighed Vlad, dismissing the police chief, "And the evacuation?"

"The shadows are making it near impossible to get helicopters into the area," replied Damon, "We're telling people to take shelter to bigger, stronger buildings – Axion Labs, Casper High, places like that. We're also trying to bus people out."

Vlad nodded.

"Well, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I need to make a call," he said, standing up and walking to the door, "I'll be right back."

He shut the door behind him.

Damon sighed, and flipped the phone shut.

"Still can't get her," he sighed.

"Get who?" asked Coulson.

"My daughter," replied Damon, "I've got a gut feeling she's in that mess, somewhere."

"We'll all be, soon enough," said Coulson, grimly.

* * *

Danny and Jazz had managed to find Jimmy and Spongebob huddled behind the counter of a now gutted grocery store, a few blocks from Fenton Works. They were not alone – Sam, Tucker and Valerie had arrived not long after them.

"Alright, so I was wrong about him being a pushover," admitted Danny.

"_You think?_" snapped Jimmy.

"Uh-huh," grunted Danny, "We need a plan. Got any ideas?"

"We tried calling Agent Fletcher," replied Spongebob, "But he wouldn't pick up."

"Timmy's recaller's gone offline," added Jimmy, "And Spongebob's is starting to act up..."

There was a flash from Spongebob's pocket. A portal opened, and Patrick fell out, landing with a loud thud on the tiled floor. He looked rather bewildered, and was holding a half-eaten Krabby Patty in his hands.

"...hey Spongebob," he said at last, "Are we having a party?"

"Like that," nodded Jimmy, rolling his eyes.

"You think the portal might be messing with them?" asked Sam.

"Probably," said Jimmy, "Which means if we need back-up, we have to call it now."

"Do it," Danny said, "We'll work out something when everybody's here."

"No need," replied Tucker, smirking, "I got an idea."

"Alright then," nodded Jimmy, grinning as he pulled out his recaller, "Nicktoons, unite!"

There was a long silence.

"_Seriously?_" asked Valerie, incredulously.

Jimmy sighed and pressed a button.

* * *

"So," asked Chester, sitting with AJ at a picnic table in Dimmsdale Park, "We helped Timmy and his multi-world team save time, and then we got these cool recaller things. Does that mean we have to be ready to save the world at short notice?"

There was a flash of light and a green portal opened next to them.

"Yep," nodded AJ.

They jumped up and leapt into the portal.

* * *

Sandy was putting on her karate glove, preparing to practice her karate skills on the lawn of the Treedome. Suddenly, a portal opened next to her.

"Well," she shrugged, grinning, "Sure beats practice."

She jumped into the portal.

* * *

Carl and Sheen were sitting in Jimmy's lab, eating corn chips and watching Ultralord. A portal opened next to them, and Sheen jumped out.

"Jimmy's hour of need is here!" he proclaimed, "Come on, Carl!"

"But I don't wanna...ow!"

Sheen dragged him by the arm into the portal.

* * *

Squidward was sitting at his table, eating a bowl of cereal. A portal opened behind him.

"No," Squidward grunted.

The portal closed again, and he went back to eating.

* * *

A series of portals opened up around the group. Chester, AJ, Sandy, Carl and Sheen emerged, each taking up a suitably epic pose on appearance (except Carl, who tripped and fell on his face.)

"What do y'all need us for, Jim?" asked Sandy.

"We have a plan!" replied Tucker, dramatically.

There was a long pause.

"Just letting you know it's not a _good_ plan, though," interrupted Sam.

"It's still a plan," said Tucker, firmly.

* * *

"So, we just need to come through here and-what're _you_ doing here?!"

Jenny stopped and aimed a rocket at two familiar agents climbing up the elevator shaft. Both were exhausted.

"It's okay," sighed Timmy, "We know these guys."

"Fletcher and Thompson, CIA," wheezed Fletcher, weakly pulling himself onto firm ground, "I am giving you a federal order to put a ladder in that thing."

He collapsed on the hallway carpet, wheezing heavily.

There was a quiet ding as an automatic door opened, and a figure emerged. Jenny waved – Timmy and Dani's jaws both dropped.

"This isn't the strangest thing I've ever seen around here," Tony Stark shrugged.

* * *

AN: Jenny works for Tony Stark.

Why can't I work for Tony Stark?


	7. Chapter Six: The Plan

I should be asleep right now, but this is just too much fun.

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** I know, right? Jenny plus Iron Man? Awesome! :D Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Squidward had to appear somewhere. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

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**LightandDarkness Warrior:** I know, right? Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Plan**

_"__...live from Amity Park, I'm Lance Thunder."_

The long-suffering Amity Park weatherman was on the television, standing in front of what looked like the Manson's house. Behind him, a column of white armoured vehicles rolled by – they were all marked 'GIW.'

_"__Behind me, you can see the Guys in White moving in to take on the invading ghost army,"_ explained Lance, _"I'm standing with a couple of GIW agents now; Operatives K and O, what do you have to say about the crisis?"_

The camera turned to the two agents, looking impassively towards the camera.

_"__The situation is completely under control_," said K.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash as a GIW helicopter collided with the upper floor of the Manson house and exploded.

_"__...that was unmanned,_" blurted O.

_"__We are moving into the city under Operation EAGLE HAWK,"_ explained K, _"We'll hit them hard and fast from all directions in conjunction with the military. We're coming down Maple and..._"

"Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Jimmy.

"What, what's happening?" asked Spongebob, leaning over Jimmy's shoulder.

"He's blurting out his entire plan _on live television_," replied Jimmy, exasperatedly.

They, Jazz and Sandy were gathered on the roof of the grocery store. Jimmy was watching an old portable TV somebody had abandoned in the store.

He shook his head.

"Okay, let's go over the plan again," he said.

He walked over to the side of the building, looking down. Valerie, Patrick, Carl, Sheen, Chester and AJ were hiding in the buildings, waiting.

"Valerie's team will ambush the Warlord's troops when they come through," he explained, "Once they get identified, the Warlord will think Danny's with them and send everything there way."

"...and we want that why?" asked Spongebob, scratching his head.

"It'll draw them away from Danny's team," replied Jimmy, "They're taking the alley road to Axion Labs – Tucker caught word they're gathering ghost hunters and volunteers over there, and we could use their help. Just in case they get held up, we're gonna be taking the high road, over the rooftops."

"So here's hopin' y'all can jump," said Sandy.

"Most of the buildings here are tightly packed," reassured Jimmy, "And if worse comes to worse, I can use the jetpack to bring us over in groups."

"Great!" exclaimed Spongebob, "What could g-"

Jazz grabbed his mouth and forced it shut.

"Okay, let's get going," nodded Jimmy, "Good luck, everyone."

* * *

Valerie crouched under the grocery window, breathing as quietly as she could. Next to her, a nervous Carl stood next to a pile of Purple Flurp cans, shaking one nervously – Patrick was on the other side, his own can in hand.

"You sure those are gonna work?" hissed Valerie.

"Oh, these things dissolve anything," replied Carl, "Just look at Sheen's molars."

"Yeah, I'll take your word for it," said Valerie, wincing.

Outside, she heard the sound of marching. The Warlord's soldiers had arrived.

"...okay, on my mark," she whispered, "Three...two...one..._MARK!_"

She jumped out of cover and started firing her wrist blaster at the lead soldiers in the column, knocking them to the ground.

Carl launched into a nerdy equivalent of a war cry and hurled the can of Flurp. It fell disappointingly short, but for some reason it exploded and sprayed the ghost troops with the acidic beverage.

Across the road, AJ slapped on a visor-helmet and picked up a laser rifle. He aimed at the soldiers, who were now starting to look for the perpetrators of the ambush. There was a computerised voice – '_Target locked.' _– and he pulled the trigger, shooting a volley of laser beams into several of the ghosts.

Chester leapt out of the window (the glass was already broken) and ran screaming at one of the soldiers. He leapt into the air, opened his mouth, and bit into his shoulder.

He then fell to the ground, clutching his teeth and lamenting his poor choice of attack.

This move, however, providing Sheen with the distraction he needed to jump into the street, perform a totally unnecessary roll and blast away at the soldiers with the Cheese Ray, turning his targets into the dairy product.

Patrick sat under the windowsill, drinking Purple Flurp.

The remaining soldiers, having lost all sense of cohesion, broke and ran.

Without a word, Valerie and Carl high-fived.

* * *

"Here's what we know."

Fletcher placed a folder on the counter of Tony's penthouse. There had been a brief pause for introductions ("Hi, we're Jenny's weird friends who save people and stuff," said Dani) and clarifications ("That's Dorian Fletcher. He's not really a _friend_ and we don't really trust him, but he can be useful," said Timmy), but otherwise, they had gotten right to business on dealing with their current Warlord problem.

"The Warlord's soldiers are completely immune to standard weapons and ammunition," Fletcher explained, "However, they lack independent thought, they're regimented to a fault and their tactics are frankly Napoleonic."

"So we're basically fighting ultra-durable redcoats," nodded Tony.

"Good way of putting it," shrugged Fletcher, "Knock out their leaders or break up their formations, and they'll run. The shadows are more of a problem..."

"Shadows?" mused Jenny, "Didn't the Man in the White Suit have those?"

"Don't remind me," shuddered Dani.

"Yep, and these are about the same things," nodded Fletcher, "_Very_ dangerous and immune to physical attacks, but they're weak against electricity and light-based attacks."

"Like lasers?" quizzed Timmy.

"Like lasers," nodded Fletcher, "Why? Do you have some?"

"I can get some," shrugged Timmy, "I just need to...access them...from my secret access things...in the bathroom."

He got up and walked out of the room.

"Secret access things?" Tony asked, eyebrow raised.

"Some sort of hologram things," shrugged Fletcher, "Don't ask me, I have no idea."

He shook his head.

"The main thing is that you guys," he pointed to Dani and Jenny, "Need to get back to Amity."

"But the Warlord's here, isn't he?" quizzed Dani.

Fletcher shook his head.

"You have a TV, Mr. Stark?" he asked.

"What channel?" asked Tony.

"629 – Amity Park News," replied Fletcher.

"JARVIS, you heard him," said Tony.

"_You couldn't invent a remote, sir?_" replied his AI.

Nevertheless, a holographic screen appeared before them. Lance Thunder was on screen, wrapping up his interview with the Guys in White (and trying to ignore the wrecked Manson manor behind him.)

_"__...and that was Operatives O and K from the Guys in White,_" he finished, _"Now, the studio's just told me that evacuation centres are being moved. We can no longer guarantee a safe exit from Casper High. City Hall is being threatened and evacuees there are being bussed to Axion and Elmerton. We'll keep you updated with..._"

"Amity," whispered Dani, horrified.

"Not just that," replied Fletcher, "Switch to BBC America."

The channel changed to a man in a slightly ragged suit, standing on a bridge. Camouflaged vehicles were ferrying soldiers across a lake towards a small neighbourhood backed by a man-made hill, much of which was on fire. Night had fallen, but the background fires lit the sky in an ominous red.

_"__...standing on Northbourne Avenue. Behind me you can see Australian soldiers moving in to deal with the ghost invasion, a scene being repeated as we speak in New York, Moscow and Beijing. The Governor-General has declared a state of emergency and taken over control of the situation until the status of Parliament can be confirmed. He addressed the media from his temporary seat of government at the airport, calling for national unity in the face of a 'global and existential threat...'"_

"Destroyer of worlds," whispered Dani, remembering Zwarte Pete's words.

There was a long silence.

"So, how are we' getting to Amity Park?" blurted Tony, "Because I have a supersonic flying suit of armour, but you can't use it."

"I know a guy," replied Fletcher.

* * *

"Sir!"

Napoleon rolled his eyes as Crocker ran up to him. He had been having a nice think, here in the wreckage of the Fenton's garden, and this jumped-up school teacher had had to ruin it.

"Oui," he grumbled.

"One of our units was ambushed," replied Crocker, "Might've been Phantom! What do we do?"

"Where?" Napoleon asked.

Crocker pointed to the west, and Napoleon nodded.

"Monsieur Crocker, you're a teacher, aren't you?" he asked, "Do you know what I was before I was an emperor? Before I was a general?"

Crocker blinked.

"...a Corsican?"

"An _artilleryman_," replied Napoleon, smirking.

He raised his hands into the sky.

Slowly, one by one, glowing meteors began to descend from the sky above.

* * *

Jimmy finished climbing the ladder, joining the rest of his group at the top of the building. He took a second to catch his breath before looking towards their next obstacle. The next building was separated from them by a small alleyway – but it _looked_ jumpable.

"Alright," he asked, "Jump or jet?"

Suddenly there was a massive bang, and he was knocked off his feet.

For a few seconds, he lay dazed on the concrete roof. Then he was dragged to his feet by Jazz.

"We have to run!" she bellowed over the rising racket of explosions, "They're throwing meteors at us!"

Jimmy nodded, dusted himself off and readied himself.

"Jetpack?" gulped Spongebob

"No time, _jump!_" he shouted.

He ran for the gap, closed his eyes and jumped. For a moment, his heart stopped – then is began to race as he realised he'd made it to the other side. He opened his eyes and turned around. Jazz had crossed, but Spongebob and Sandy were still on the other side.

"Spongebob, come on!" Sandy urged, "You can do it! I'll be right behind you..."

There was another bang, and the building shook. It began to lean backwards.

"Go!" thundered Jimmy.

Spongebob, deciding that standing on a collapsing building was even more dangerous than attempting to jump, grabbed Sandy's hand and bolted towards the gap. He jumped, just as the roof gave way.

Suddenly, everything seemed to play out in slow motion. Jimmy could almost see the arc of their jump in his head.

_They're not gonna make it..._

He leaned over the gap, reaching out a hand. Spongebob reached back, stretching out as far as he could.

He missed by inches.

Jimmy jolted back as Jazz pulled him away by the collar. Before him, the building collapsed in a pile of rubble, coating him in a layer of dust.

He could just hear the sound of a radio as the meteors died away.

"_Valerie here – sorry, we had to run. Where are you guys? What was that..."_

_"__Danny here, we're a few blocks away. We just saw the meteors, you guys okay? Jimmy?"_

"Spongebob," whispered Jimmy.

He shook his head numbly, his face pale.

"They-they could be alright," stammered Jazz, "I mean, we've been through worse..."

Jimmy said nothing. Instead, he turned around and walked away as if in a dream.

* * *

Sandy opened her eyes and rubbed her head.

"Ugh...well, that was horrible," she groaned, "Still, least I landed on something soft, right Spongebob?"

There was a muffled grunting.

"Spongebob?"

Sandy looked down.

_"__Oh."_

She climbed off of Spongebob's back and stood up, looking around at the small cavern of debris that they were now stuck inside. She looked up, whistling at a large concrete slab above them.

"Reckon that thing saved our lives," she nodded

"Yep," sighed Spongebob.

They looked around.

"But we might have a problem," replied Sandy, "Because we might just be trapped."

* * *

AN: I was originally going to end the chapter _before_ confirming Spongebob and Sandy were alive, but then I decided to save cruel cliffhangers for later.

Also, one more Avenger's gonna be in this fic. Guess which one!


	8. Chapter Seven: The Divide

Just a heads up (that I really should have said before now), this takes place _before_ Winter Soldier.

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**LightandDarkness Warrior: **You may be right. :P Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Divide**

Jimmy sat on a small crate atop a building, looking at his feet. Jazz sat next to him, a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't believe they're gone," he muttered.

"Maybe they're okay," replied Jazz, hopefully, "I mean, we could try radioing them..."

"There was so much I wanted to say," Jimmy murmured, "So much I never got the chance to ask...like how it snows underwater, and how they have fires, and..."

He sighed.

"...I think I'm gonna miss his laugh most," he finished.

A somewhat staticy laugh emerged from Jimmy's pocket.

"I can still hear it in my head," sighed Jimmy.

_"__Spongebob to Jimmy, are you there?"_

Jimmy's gaze slowly turned to his pocket.

He grabbed the radio (an old, boxy one from the grocery store) and spoke into it.

"Spongebob, you're alive!"

"I told you to try the radio," grinned Jazz.

_"__Yep!"_ exclaimed Spongebob, _"I mean, we're _stuck_, but we're still alive!"_

"Alright," nodded Jimmy, standing up, "We need to get you outta there. Do you see anything you can use down there? Like a shovel or something?"

There was a long pause.

"_Um, I think we found a manhole,_" replied Spongebob.

"Climb down that," said Jimmy, "I don't have a map of the sewers but if you head south you should find an exit away from the Warlord's forces."

_"__Got it, Jim...which way's south?_"

There was another brief pause as Jimmy pinched the bridge of his nose.

_"__Never mind, Sandy says she knows which way,"_ said Spongebob, _"We'll meet you at Axion Labs...hopefully. Good lu..._"

The radio emitted a high-pitched whine, and Spongebob trailed out.

"Spongebob!" exclaimed Jimmy, "Gas planet, something's jamming the signal! Ugh, I wish we could still use the recallers..."

He grabbed the dial and began to twist it.

_"__...secure channel alpha, this is _Valiant_. If you are receiving this message, head to North Maple – a RERE helicopter is on its way. Colonel Atkinson requests information on the location of any of the following; Phantom, Danny – Neutron, James Isaac – Turner, Timothy..._"

Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"So," he asked, "Who wants to bet these guys are connected to Fletcher?" he asked Jazz.

* * *

"...radio's dropped out," said Tucker.

He, Sam and Danny were hiding behind a collapsed wall, watching a column of the Warlord's troops march by. They were followed by large, rusty tanks with very large cannons.

"They're probably headed for Axion Labs," whispered Sam, "We might have some problems."

"Yeah, we'll need to deal with those," nodded Danny.

There was a long pause.

"So...anybody got any ideas?" asked Tucker.

"Tuck," grunted Danny, "If I had an idea, we wouldn't be hiding right now."

"Point taken."

Sam shook her head.

"You guys know we've still gotta get these ghost hunters to help us, right?" she asked, "I mean, well, key word, 'ghost hunters'."

"Hopefully they'll see the bigger picture, I guess," shrugged Danny, "I don't know, we're just making this up as we go along."

"Hey," shrugged Tucker, optimistically, "It's worked before, hasn't it?"

"Come on," grunted Danny, "I know a short cut to the Labs..."

* * *

"...Atkinson, this is Fletcher, we're gonna need pickup...I have Stark, Turner and the younger Phantom...what do you mean, you can't send anything?...SHIELD...fine, they'll do..."

Timmy, Dani and Jenny were standing next to the window, looking out over the city. Save for the dim sounds of fighting and the absence of the Empire State Building, the city looked almost calm and serene in the late-afternoon sun. Cosmo and Wanda were disguised as small laser pistols, attached to a belt – Poof was in the form of a backpack.

"So," asked Timmy, "You work for Iron Man."

"Sort of," replied Jenny, "After I left you guys after that whole Man in the White Suit thing, I thought I could find my mom by asking all the main robotics scientists. It didn't work, but I met a guy in a place in England – the Bracewell Institute or something. Let's just say you've met him."

There was a long pause.

"Wait, _Thourrel?_" blurted Dani.

"Yep," nodded Jenny, "He got a job in some kind of UN thing, he couldn't say what. But he _could_ give me a file from the CIA..."

"Let me guess," grunted Timmy, pointing at Fletcher (who was still on the phone and arguing about something or another), "He wrote it?"

"Nope, but he signed it," replied Jenny, "Most of it was about testing something called the 'Chronomancer'..."

Timmy shuddered involuntarily.

"...but they also mentioned a report into mom's disappearance," continued Jenny, "They _think_ she was kidnapped by an agent of the Man in the White Suit."

"So why didn't we find her after we beat him?" asked Timmy.

"Beats me," shrugged Jenny, "If she was captured in his realm, she should have gotten out after Jimmy unlocked the box...I reckon the Warlord has something to..."

"...aaaaand done," said Fletcher, hanging up the phone, "Alright, I've managed to get us a Quinjet – it'll be here in half-an-hour. Mr. Stark, if there's anything you need, grab it now. The rest of you, pack up and be on the roof in..."

"Dorian," interrupted Thompson, "Was that phone line secured?"

The group slowly looked out the window.

A cloud of shadows was barrelling through the sky towards them.

"..._aaaaahhh cr-_"

The window imploded.

Everything seemed to play out in slow-motion as Timmy aimed his laser pistols, vaguely noticing the shape of one of the agents flying backwards into the wall. He fired his lasers, eyes closed and screaming incoherently – he heard the hum of electricity flowing and a series of ecto-blasts, followed by a series of splattering sounds.

When he opened his eyes, the wind was blowing against him and the penthouse was covered in black gunk.

"Well," shrugged Dani, "That was awesome."

Timmy turned around. Fletcher was leaning over Thompson, who was sitting dazedly on the floor. He couldn't see Tony.

"What happened?" demanded Timmy.

"Can't tell, but I think he's busted his leg," replied Fletcher, "I've got no idea where Stark's gone, but-"

There was a loud crash as Tony, fully clad in red-and-gold armoured suit, soared out from the left wall and into the sky, thundering towards a second wave of shadows.

"...never mind, there he is," muttered Timmy.

Just then, a column of ghost soldiers floated up to the window, a woman in an ornate sixteenth century dress in front of them.

"Gentlemen," sneered the woman.

"Elizabeth Bathory," snarled Wanda, "I remember you."

"Cosmo! Wanda!" exclaimed Bathory, "It has been too long!"

"You know each other?" quizzed Timmy.

"Problem godchild," replied Cosmo, "You know how it is."

"Soldiers," snapped Bathory, pointing at the group, "Destroy them!"

The soldiers marched into the room, switching from their ghostly rifles to green, organic-looking war clubs.

Timmy narrowed his eyes, and ran into the front rank of the soldiers. He jumped up and threw Cosmo into the air – with a poof of smoke, the green fairy turned into a large hammer, which Timmy grabbed and swung into one of the soldiers.

Without skipping a beat, Timmy threw Wanda (still in raygun form) to Fletcher, who caught her and fired a few shots at a couple of soldiers in front of him. Suddenly, another soldier tried to grab him from behind. Fletcher backhanded him with his elbow, before launching into a spin-kick and pushing him away.

The soldier was thrown towards Dani, who grabbed him and threw him out the window. She then did a back-flip, landed on another soldier's shoulders and blasted him in the back of the head with an ecto-blast, knocking him out. One of his friends turned around and lifted his club, aiming to hit her.

He was promptly blocked by Jenny's arm, who then followed by uppercutting him. Wasting no time, she activated her jets and soared out the window, grabbing two soldiers by the collar on the way out. She then hurled both, one at a time, towards Tony.

Tony met both of the soldiers hurled at him with fists, before firing his repulsers at a trio of oncoming shadows. Dealing with them, he rocketed back to the penthouse window, grabbing Bathory by the arm.

Bathory smirked at him.

"Come on," she said, innocently, "You wouldn't attack a lady, would you?"

"Yeah, undead possible-vampires aren't really my type," shrugged Tony.

He then hurled her away from the window.

Tony lowered himself back into the penthouse and made a show of dusting himself off.

"Well, that went well," he said.

_"__You might be a little premature, sir,_" replied JARVIS, _"Further Warlord forces are inbound – they seem to be led by _Frederick the Great..._"_

"When does the Quinjet get here?" asked Jenny.

_"__Ten minutes, ma'am._"

Fletcher nodded.

"Grab Thompson and head to the roof," replied Fletcher, "I've got an idea to distract them."

"What kind of idea?" asked Timmy, suspiciously.

"A stupid one," snapped Fletcher, "Now go."

Timmy noticed the phone in his hand as everyone else began to leave.

"You do realise we hear everything we say on that?" he asked.

"That's the idea," nodded Fletcher, throwing Wanda back to Timmy, "Don't wait up, Turner."

Timmy nodded.

"Good luck, Dorian."

He followed the others out the door.

Fletcher looked out the door and sighed, putting the phone up to his ear.

"This is Agent Fletcher calling HQ," he said, "I have Phantom. I'm moving to the parking lot for evacuation..."

* * *

AN: I enjoy writing action scenes but I don't think I'm good at them.


	9. Chapter Eight: The Fall

This chapter title bodes well.

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**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Indeed. Thanks for reading!

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**TweenisodeOrange:** Not necessarily... Thanks for the review.

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Thanks for that, I put a lot of effort into the fight scene. Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Eight: The Fall**

The block outside Axion Labs was crowded, but the crowd was thinning. With the Warlord's army closing in on the area, civilians were being bussed out (again) to the city limits. This left a gathering of amateur ghost hunters, the Guys in White and a couple of squads of marines.

Danny, Sam and Tucker watched the assemble from behind a dumpster on the other side of the open block.

"Look, I know we need the help," said Sam, "But are you _sure_ walking straight up to every ghost-hunter in town is a good idea?"

"No, not really," admitted Danny, "But we don't have any other options. Come on."

He stood up and walked into the open area.

"_Freeze!_"

In about two seconds flat, half the Guys in White, the Fentons and a few other ghost hunters had surrounded them, weapons drawn.

"Yeah, hi," nodded Danny, waving pathetically, "Look, I know you guys have problems with ghosts and all that, but, uh, maybe we could, um, put our differences aside to..."

"Danny, stop," grunted Sam, "You're embarrassing yourself."

"...right, sorry."

Sam walked to the front of the group.

"Sam, what're you..." began Maddie.

"Listen," she said, "I know you're ghost hunters, and I know Danny's a ghost. But you need to look beyond that. Right now, the Warlord is tearing us apart, and we need to stand together if we're to have a hope of stopping him. We need to forget about humans and ghosts, we need to forget about all our differences, and we need to unite as one."

She raised her fist.

"Now who's with me?!"

The Guys in White cocked their weapons.

"...well, I tried," shrugged Sam.

"Danny Phantom," snapped Operative K, "You are under arrest for collusion with an enemy of the United States..."

"...I told you, I'm not working for the Warlord!" shouted Danny.

"...theft, vigilantism, vandalism and flying in a no-fly zone," finished K, ignoring Danny's protest, "You have the right to remain silent..."

"_INCOMING!"_

There was a loud crash as a large, tan battle tank slammed into the pavement, the turret torn off on impact. Seconds later, two more tanks were thrown over the buildings to the left of them, one of them slamming into a GIW jeep.

Jack, Maddie, K and O wordlessly turned to a marine sergeant, who was gazing grimly at the tanks.

"Hoffmann," demanded K, "What was that?"

"Those tanks were guarding our perimeter, sir," replied Hoffmann, "In due respect, I think Eagle Hawk might be-"

At that moment, six massive ghost tanks rolled into the open area and everything went wrong.

The Guys in White and their allies turned to face the tanks, while Danny ran for the Ghost Assault Vehicle (parked outside Axion). Sam and Tucker ran after him, calling out.

"Where are you going?" shouted Tucker, muffled somewhat by an explosion caused by one of the tanks.

"The RV!" replied Danny, "There's gotta be something to stop the tanks in..."

He felt a jerk against his shoulder and span around. Maddie had caught him by the arm and was aiming a blaster at him.

"That is _our_ vehicle, spook!" she boomed, unaware of the tank aiming it's gun at her, "I'm not going to let you..."

"Mom, look out!"

The tank fired.

Danny shoved Maddie away from the blast but was caught on the edge of it himself. He was blown forward, crashing face-first into the pavement.

Somebody called his name – he couldn't tell who.

Danny's ears rang as he pulled himself off the pavement. His vision swam, and he could see a trace of stained white and blue underneath him. He saw a muted explosion and what looked like the Ghost Assault Vehicle flipping into the air.

He realised he was in human form, and tried weakly to go ghost again. He failed, and instead elected to run deliriously away from where he thought the tanks would be.

He never noticed Sam and Tucker behind him, and he most certainly didn't notice Maddie a few feet away, watching him, jaw dropped.

* * *

"Heh, _now_ the elevators work."

Fletcher stood in one of Stark Tower's elevators, heading for the parking lot. He stared into the mirror at his reflection. He was very much worse for wear – one of his suit sleeves had been torn off, his tie was loose and his top button undone, and he seemed to have managed to pick up a black eye – how, he had no idea.

If the director could see him now, he'd probably be dead. His part of the Agency always were sticklers for cleanliness.

Fletcher's plan was quite simple. He would get to the parking lot, drop Stark's phone there and leave the Warlord's men to scratch their heads about it. He'd then slip through Manhattan, find an evacuation centre and hopefully get back to the _Valiant_ before anyone missed him. Simple, easy and nobody had to get hurt.

Then the elevator doors open, and Fletcher found himself standing in front of the Warlord himself. The ghost stood on the opposite side of the underground parking lot, arms crossed.

"Where is Phantom?" he demanded.

Fletcher stepped cautiously out of the elevator, dropping the phone.

"Repeat the question?" he asked, trying to stop himself from shaking.

"_Where. Is. Phantom?_"

Fletcher looked around the parking lot, trying to stall for time.

"Yeah, yeah, before we do that, how'd you get to here from Amity so fast?"

_Exit ramp? Too obvious...maybe I could duck back into the elevator..._

"If you must know," replied the Warlord, "I can _fly_."

_...no, he'll get into the elevator. No ducts, and even if there were, the roof's too high up...and even if I did run, he could go to the roof and stop them from escaping..._

"Additionally, the portals allow me to quickly get from one of my conquests to another...and you're stalling, aren't you?"

_There's no way out of this._

At this realisation, Fletcher's fear seemed to vanish, replaced by a strange calm.

"Who are you, human?" demanded the Warlord.

"Agent Dorian Fletcher," replied Fletcher, pulling out his badge, "CIA, Temporal Division."

"Where is Phantom, Dorian Fletcher?" the Warlord asked again.

Fletcher smirked.

"Warlord, I have _absolutely no idea._"

There was a long silence.

"Then this was a ruse," nodded the Warlord, "The Phantom isn't in this city, is he?"

"You don't know where he is?" sniffed Fletcher, "Well, some all-powerful conqueror you are..."

"I have many powers, omniscience isn't one of them," replied the Warlord.

He looked down at Fletcher.

"Surely, Dorian Fletcher," he growled, "You didn't come down here expecting to defeat me?"

"Honestly, I didn't come down here expecting to see you at all," replied Fletcher, "But I can slow you down."

"Then by all means," said the Warlord, lighting his fists with ectoplasmic fire, "Slow me down."

Fletcher reached into his jacket and pulled out his pistol.

"With pleasure, Warlord."

* * *

The SHIELD Quinjet had landed on the roof of Stark Tower, and a couple of agents were escorting the group into the large aircraft.

Suddenly, over the sound of the jet engines, Timmy could just about here a series of loud bangs from far below, followed by a roaring jet of flame.

"What was that?" one of the SHIELD agents asked.

"Nothing, come on," replied a colleague, "We have to go..."

"Oh, Dorian," whispered Timmy, looking at his feet.

* * *

The Warlord turned away from the wreckage of the elevator and began to walk away.

"You know what your problem is?"

The Warlord turned back to the elevator. A weak voice was emitting from under the rubble – he could just see Fletcher feebly leaning out from beneath one of the doors..

"You come to our world," Fletcher said in a raspy voice, "And the first thing you do is threaten us."

"Your civilization is weak," snarled the Warlord, "Your cities are..."

"You see, that's the thing," interrupted Fletcher, "You see humanity as cities and history and civilization, but we're not like that. You're threatening our homes, our friends, our _families_, and you expect us to just lie down because you're more powerful than us?"

He chuckled hoarsely.

"You don't know _anything_ about humanity, Warlord."

The Warlord leant down over Fletcher.

"You can be saved from destruction," he offered, "I can offer you a place in my army, marching at the side of the greatest soldiers ever known. I can give you immortality, Dorian Fletcher – what do you say?"

Fletcher paused for a moment, as if in thought.

He then laughed right in the Warlord's face.

"Join you?" he wheezed, "You want me to _join you?_ Ha...go to hell."

He closed his eyes and his head fell back.

* * *

On the top of the tower, the Quinjet lifted off, flying away in the light of the setting sun. Down below, the police and army were beginning to retreat – Manhattan Island was falling.

It was a scene that was being repeated in Moscow, Beijing, Canberra and Amity Park. The Warlord's army was just too strong and too large, and there was little that could be done against them.

In Amity Park, Danny had run as far as a hill in Casper Park before he collapsed from exhaustion. He lay against a tree, looking over the wreckage of what was once downtown Amity Park. He buried his head in his hands.

"We can't stop him," he muttered to himself, "We just...can't stop him."

"No. You can't."

Danny looked up. His eyes widened at the slightly-transparent figure in front of him.

"No...no, it _can't be..._"

"But it _is_, Mr. Fenton," said the Man in the White Suit, "I believe it's time for a heart-to-heart..."

* * *

AN: I _was_ going to have a scene with Jimmy and co and with Atkinson, but that'll have to wait until next chapter. I just ran out of time.

Also, when I said I'd bring back as many characters as I could, I meant it. :P


	10. Chapter Nine: The Game Changes

...and here...we...go.

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* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Game Changes**

Danny stood up, pointing at the Man in the White Suit.

"Y-you can't be here!" he exclaimed, "You got banished!"

"Yes," growled the Man in the White Suit, "That was quite a setback."

He crossed his arms.

"I cannot sustain a corporeal form in your dimension," he explained, "But I _can_ project myself, with some effort."

"Why are you here?" demanded Danny.

"To explain," replied the Man in the White Suit, "To clarify your connection with the Warlord. Sit down, Mr. Fenton – you may not like what you hear."

* * *

_In his time, he was known as Alexander. In death, he was always simply 'the Warlord.'_

_At the height of Pariah Dark's kingdom, he was the finest of the king's generals. All before him was wiped away – even the Observants could do nothing but swear fealty to his cause. He was fiercely loyal, and had even sworn an oath that he would never betray Pariah._

_Then he found out the prophecy._

_An ancient text had foreseen the rise of the Warlord, of an apocalyptic threat destined to destroy humanity and bring him to his rightful place as ruler of all ghosts. It spoke of armies descending from the sky, and of the towers of man torn asunder by great winds. It was a warning of apocalypse, grand in scope, not simply of man but of all mortality._

_Pariah saw it as a threat to his reign and he immediately declared the Warlord an outlaw, and ordered his remaining generals to arrest him. Unfortunately, the majority of the army was loyal to the Warlord, and deserted with him, deep into the heart of the Ghost Zone, a void known only as the Well of Souls. And there he would stay for two thousand years, building his forces._

_But his betrayal was not with punishment. Pariah made a vow to his kingdom, designed to prevent the Warlord from taking the throne. He proclaimed that lordship over the Zone could only be won by trial of combat – and at this point, Pariah was still more powerful then the Warlord._

_Not long after, disaster struck Pariah, as the ancients sealed him within the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. As they were working as a team rather than an individual, their claim to the throne was void, and the kingdom came to an end._

_Meanwhile, the Warlord waited in the Well of Souls. He did nothing but train for two thousand years..._

* * *

"...which brings us to now," finished the Man in the White Suit.

"So, what, he wants the throne?" quizzed Danny, "Wouldn't he have to go after Pariah Dark first?"

"And therein lies his problem," replied the Man, "For you see, Pariah has since been defeated in trial by combat."

Danny blinked.

"Eight months ago, Vladimir Masters inadvertently awoke Pariah Dark," said the Man, "In the ensuing battle, the king was defeated by..."

"...me," Danny realised.

"Yes," nodded the Man, "You..._my liege._"

The last two words were dripping with sarcasm.

"So, what, he has to kill me to get the crown?" asked Danny.

"Or permanently incapacitate you," replied the Man, "The rule is not particularly clear on that."

"So," sighed Danny, "What do I do?"

"Isn't it obvious, Mr. Fenton?" quizzed the Man, "You change the rules."

* * *

"I've just realised," said Spongebob, "I don't think I've ever changed my shoes."

He and Sandy were wading through ankle-deep sewerage in an attempt to get to Axion Labs. Unfortunately, the lack of a compass or any visible landmarks meant that they had gotten very, very lost.

"Any particular reason you decided to tell me that?" asked Sandy, slightly irritably.

"Nah, just struck me."

Just then, a voice echoed from down the tunnel.

"...every time, _every time_ Plasmius drags you out here, you still fail to get the dipstick! I mean what is it, rocket science?"

"I'll have you know that the whelp is a _very worthy_ adversary..."

"Yeah, too bad that doesn't work both ways."

"Are you questioning my skills as a hunter, wench?"

"I'm not questioning it, I'm stating the obvious..."

Spongebob and Sandy rounded a bend to find Skulker and Ember sitting on opposite sides of the tunnel arguing.

"...hi," said Spongebob, meekly.

"Move along," snapped Skulker, "We're having a stress-related break-up."

"Break-up? We haven't been 'together' for three months..." corrected Ember.

"...wait, you were dating?" quizzed Sandy.

"Yes," Skulker and Ember replied testily.

"But isn't Skulker basically just a blob..."

She shook her head.

"Never mind," she shrugged, "Do either of you fellers know a way out of here?"

"Sure," shrugged Skulker, "You phase through the roof."

Sandy narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, right," nodded Skulker, "You can't do that."

"No kidding," muttered Ember, rolling her eyes.

"I think I might."

All four looked up.

Vlad Plasmius was standing on the other side of the tunnel, arms crossed. He was flanked by a suited man that Spongebob didn't recognise.

"Vlad!" exclaimed Spongebob, "And...who are you?"

"Agent Phil Coulson," replied Vlad, "Now I believe we have..."

"I'll handle this," interrupted Coulson.

Coulson raised an arm. Vlad rolled his eyes but stopped talking.

"Phil Coulson, Agent of SHIELD," he said, "We're trying to gather up the ghosts so we can fight back against the Warlord."

"Shouldn't you be in City Hall?" quizzed Skulker.

"Overrun," snarled Vlad, "We barely got out."

"So it takes the Warlord to drive you out of office," said Ember, "How the mighty have fallen..."

"Head to Casper High," explained Coulson, pointing down the tunnel, "Three hundred metres that way, take a left and go straight to the end, you'll find a ladder. Damon will meet you there..."

"...and why should we trust you?" demanded Spongebob.

"Does anybody else have an idea?" snapped Vlad.

There was a long silence.

"I didn't think so," sniffed Vlad.

"We'll meet you there," said Coulson, "Just as soon as we finish finding the other ghosts down here."

"Good luck," grunted Ember, "If they don't wanna be found..."

"I've done this before," smirked Coulson, "We'll find them..."

* * *

Jimmy and Jazz had met up with Valerie's team not far from the Amity Park Mall and were now sneaking down North Maple Street to the rendezvous point indicated by the radio. They climbed over a pile of rubble, and Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

A large green helicopter, the words 'British Army' stencilled on the side, sat in the middle of the road, preparing to take off. A half-dozen soldiers were gathered around, aiming rifles at all angles. A moustached man in a green officer's uniform was standing next to the helicopter, looking over a small map.

"Looks like these guys are RERE," whispered Jimmy.

"But...they're _British_," Valerie pointed out, "The heck are they doing over here?"

"Guess we'll find out," shrugged Jimmy.

He climbed over the ridge. For a second, the soldiers turned their rifles to him – then somebody shouted 'Friendly!' and they turned them away.

"Neutron?" quizzed the officer as the group reached the helicopter.

"How do you know my name?" demanded Jimmy.

"You reputation precedes you," replied the officer, "Colonel Atkinson, Royal Extraterrestrial Research Enclave. I think we can help each other."

"You wouldn't happen to know Dorian Fletcher, would you?" asked Jimmy, shouting to make himself heard over the rotors.

"I did," said Atkinson, "I knew him quite well."

"Wait..._knew?_" asked Jazz.

"Yes, knew," replied Atkinson, "Another thing the Warlord needs to answer for, I suppose. Now come on, we've already found Turner and we'll need you too..."

* * *

"Change the rules?" asked Danny, "How? Do I just...say he can't have the crown?"

"Not so simple," replied the Man in the White Suit, pacing before him, "You haven't had a coronation. You have no authority."

"So I just find a crown, right?" shrugged Danny.

"The Ghost Zone does not work the same way as the Earth," corrected the Man, "A coronation would take weeks, weeks we do not have. No, you must initiate emergency powers."

"Emergency powers?" Danny repeated, somewhat redundantly.

"You must travel to the Well of Souls," explained the Man, "There you will find the Great Obelisk where a king, even uncrowned, can assume 'emergency powers' – absorbing the essence of the Ghost Zone into your person. You will, essentially, become almost all-powerful."

He stopped and looked Danny in the eye.

"This will also initiate the Realm Divide."

"That sounds bad," Danny gulped meekly.

"The Realm Divide is the reason no king has ever attempted this," nodded the Man, "It will sever all paths and portals between the Ghost Zone and the Mortal Realm. The two realms will become separate, as if an infinitely tall wall had been placed between them. If you are on the wrong side when that happens, there is no going back."

"But...if I do this," Danny realised, "I'll have to be in the Well of Souls, which means..."

His face paled.

"I'd be trapped in the Ghost Zone," he breathed.

"A noble sacrifice for all humanity, I'm sure you'll agree," said the Man.

Danny shook his head.

"There's gotta be another way!" he exclaimed, "I mean, I can't just abandon everything and shut myself away for eternity! Come on, there's gotta be another option."

"There is," replied the Man, grinning smugly, "If you were to, say, _die_ in some kind of incident unrelated to the Warlord...well, no king, no problem."

"Out of the question," snapped Danny, "Come on, you've gotta help me, there's gotta be..."

"_Help _you?"

The Man in the White Suit laughed bitterly.

"You banished me into a pocket dimension for all eternity," he exclaimed, "You ruined millennia of planning! And after all you did to me, you want _my _help?"

He shook his head.

"Don't you see?" he sneered, "This is the freedom your Nicktoons so desperately fought for."

He began to fade. Danny reached out for him, but his hand went right through his chest.

"No," he begged, "Please, there's gotta be another way..."

"Enjoy your freedom, Mr. Fenton," snarled the Man, "I hope you _choke_ on it..."

He laughed as he faded into nothingness, leaving Danny alone and on his knees, his face pale as a sheet.

"Danny!"

Sam and Tucker ran up the hill towards him, picking him up by the shoulders. Tucker reached into his backpack and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to him.

"Danny, say something!" he pleaded, "Are you alright?"

"I'm doomed," replied Danny, hollowly.

* * *

AN: Oh, that Man in the White Suit! He's such a troll!


	11. Chapter Ten: The Carrier

WARNING: Chapter is mostly talking and not much really happening. The next chapter will be better, I promise.

Review replies;

**coxal14:** Well, I'll try to keep it up then! Thanks for the review!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Quick, we need a lawyer! Get me Lionel Hutz! Thanks for reading.

**SOLmaster:** Well, he's done it before, maybe he can do it again. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**LightandDarkness:** Indeed, sir, indeed. Thanks very much!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Clearly he was Alexander Graham Bell. =P Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: The Carrier**

The helicopter touched down on the deck of the _Valiant_ and the back door opened. A sudden gust of bitingly cold air filled the cabin, and Jimmy shuddered involuntarily.

"Brilliant," Atkinson muttered under his breath.

He led the group and the soldiers out onto the flight deck. Jimmy's jaw dropped.

The _Valiant _was tethered by way of giant steel cables to the unmistakable lines of the SHIELD helicarrier. A dark mist had descended over the ships and it was getting darker – lightning could be seen in the distance – but fluorescent lights kept the flight deck clear. Dozens of planes, many experimental in nature, were lined in neat rows on the side of the carrier.

"Look at all this stuff," Jimmy breathed, "This is _cutting edge_."

"Sir!"

A soldier in very thick white cold-weather gear ran over to them, nearly slipping on the damp deck.

"Thunderstorm," he warned.

"I had noticed," grumbled Atkinson, "Why didn't we pick this up sooner?"

"Sorry sir," replied the soldier, "We were too busy monitoring the Warlord to worry about the weather."

He shook his head.

"It'll be colder then Everest within five minutes, sir," he added, "I've been ordered to bring everyone inside."

Atkinson nodded, and the group followed him towards the bridge.

* * *

Timmy, Jenny and Dani were sitting outside the door of the conference room on the _Valiant_, looking out the window at the oncoming storm. Behind them, Dr. Thourrel was in a very animate conversation with Tony, while Captain Richardson stood in the corner, anxiously looking at the clock.

"I can't believe he's gone," sighed Timmy.

"He might not be," shrugged Dani, optimistically, "I mean, he-he could've escaped..."

"Officer on deck!"

Captain Richardson snapped to attention and saluted as the Colonel led Jimmy and his team into the room. Atkinson shook his head.

"No salutes, Captain, there isn't time," he barked, "Is the conference ready?"

"We've patched in representatives from the US, Russia, China and Australia," replied Richardson, "Director Fury and Commander Hill are already talking with them. Come on."

"Dr. Thourrel, Mr. Stark, we'll need you in there," called Atkinson, "You too Mr. Neutron."

Timmy raised an eyebrow.

"Wow," he nodded, "You're here for two seconds and you're already being forced into politics."

"Not by choice, Turner," shrugged Jimmy.

The boy genius followed Atkinson into the dark conference room, and the door shut behind them.

"Well," grumbled Timmy, "Now we play the waiting game."

He went back to looking out the window.

"...I hate this game so much."

* * *

"...General, in all due respect, I don't think you're qualified to talk down to me about an extra-worldly crisis! SHIELD has a plan to deal with this..."

"We already tried conventional warfare, Fury! Our forces in EAGLE HAWK were near destroyed, and I am not going to stand around while some glorified zombie with a Napoleon complex is destroying our..."

"Would you care to fill me in?"

Colonel Atkinson strode into the small, dark room, stopping in front of the four holographic screens in front of him. Director Nick Fury, who had been engaged in an animated argument with one of them, gave him a stern nod. Behind them, Jimmy, Tony and Dr. Thourrel stood next to Maria Hill, who was looking very unamused.

"How's it going?" asked Tony.

"Horribly," Hill replied.

The man on the furthest right screen, an American general replete with an almost stereotypical cigar in his hand, turned to Atkinson. A nametag above his right breast pocket identified him as 'Rickers.'

"Colonel, thank you for joining us," he nodded, "As you're aware, Operation EAGLE HAWK has failed."

"It was always going to," nodded Atkinson, "Conventional force can't beat the Warlord. Even if they had been competent, the Guys in White could only have slowed him down."

"Exactly," nodded Rickers, "Which is why we're pulling out all the stops."

"Our Premier," continued the man in the second right screen, who wore an impeccable green suit, "Has been in discussion with his counterparts in America and Russia. We have come to the conclusion that we must use our most powerful weapons to stop the Warlord."

Atkinson paled.

"You have got to be kidding me," he said.

"We don't joke about these matters," the man on the left-most screen, a general in a bright green uniform and slouch hat, "A nuclear strike at the heart of Amity Park should hit the Warlord, provided we hit the greatest possible area..."

"You are talking about killing innocent civilians!" thundered Fury.

"To save billions!" retorted the woman in the last screen, who was wearing a dark blue uniform, "Is it not worth the cost?"

"It won't work!" snapped Atkinson, "The Warlord's been preparing for this for millennia! He's not going to be stopped by a particularly large bomb!"

"Then we'll follow him," snapped Rickers, "If he retreats to one of the other cities, we hit him there!"

"Wait, nobody mentioned nuking the _other_ cities," snapped the green-suited man, "You made it quite clear there would be no threat to Beijing..."

"Course I did, I came up with that plan right now," nodded Rickers, "We nuke him wherever he goes! And quickly, before he starts trying to taint our bodily fluids with some kind of zombie thing..."

Atkinson pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Gentlemen," he grunted, "Ma'am, what if I told you I had a plan?"

There was a short silence.

"What sort of plan?" asked the Chinese representative.

"We cannot win with a conventional army," replied Atkinson, "But what if we had an _unconventional_ one?"

* * *

It had felt like hours, but eventually the conference room door opened. Nick Fury walked out first – his presence was almost a magnet for the attention of the room.

Fury turned to Timmy, Dani and Jenny. Timmy gulped.

"Atkinson tells me Phantom is key to beating the Warlord," he snapped, narrowing his eye, "If I'm gonna put all of my eggs in one basket I need to be damn sure I know everything about him."

"...well, um, I don't think I can tell you that because..." Timmy began.

"All bets are off, Turner," growled Fury, "We _need_ to know who Phantom is."

"Fletcher knew," grumbled Atkinson, emerging from the room, "But he never told me."

"Timmy," sighed Jimmy, emerging after him, "We have to tell them."

"It's not your secret to tell, Neutron!" shouted Timmy.

"What does a ten-year-old kid know about secrets?" asked Tony, raising an eyebrow.

"More then you know, Stark," snarled Timmy.

There was a brief silence.

"...and I resent that, I've been eleven for six weeks."

Fury leaned down, towering over Timmy.

"I am the _master_ of secrets, Turner," he growled, "I know when people are holding out on me, and I will _not_ let that jeopardise the safety of this planet..."

"Danny Fenton."

All eyes fell on Jimmy.

"His name is Danny Fenton," Jimmy replied.

"As in the Fentons?" quizzed Tony, "The crazy ghost hunters? Yeah, probably shouldn't be surprised..."

Timmy shot Jimmy a very dark glare.

"That was Danny's secret, not yours," he snapped.

"Why do you care so much?" spat Jimmy, "It's not like _you've_ ever had to hide anything like that! I mean, the holo..."

Timmy turned his back and walked away.

"Hey! Hey, get back here!" demanded Jimmy, "We've actually got a plan, Turner, you can't just walk away..."

"Watch me," hissed Turner, walking out the door.

There was a long silence.

"I thought you said you were a team," said Tony, "Because that? That was pretty terrible."

* * *

Timmy finally sat down next to a fighter jet in a hanger several floors below the bridge. Cosmo, Wanda and Poof poofed up next to him.

"Well, that could've gone better," shrugged Cosmo.

"I can't believe him," snapped Timmy, "Danny's been keeping that secret for as long as I've known him and Neutron just _blurts_ it out! I mean, Danny trusted him..."

"Come on, sport," reassured Wanda, "I'm sure he means well..."

"You don't just give secrets like that away," said Timmy angrily, "It'd be like if Cosmo went around telling people he was my fairy godfather!"

"Not it's not," said Wanda, "Danny isn't going to lose his ghost powers just because Jimmy told Fury his identity..."

"...and you know what, that's completely unfair!" shouted Timmy.

He stood up, starting to pace.

"The only reason you guys is still here is because everyone's too gullible not to buy my holograms excuse!" he ranted, "Maybe if Jorgen would just cut me some slack and let me tell someone the truth, I could solve this whole problem! I could just wish away the Warlord and none of this would've happened and nobody would have _died!_"

He sat back down, burying his head in arms.

"If...if it makes you feel better, I don't think our magic works that well on ghosts anyway," said Cosmo, patting Timmy on the back.

"Jimmy has his smarts, Danny has his powers, Jenny's almost indestructible and even Spongebob's got his absorbency," he muttered, "What do I have?"

He sighed heavily.

"I'm a failure."

"Is someone there?"

A door opened, and Cosmo, Wanda and Poof quickly turned into a row of oil drums. Timmy didn't look up.

He nearly jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up.

"Need someone to talk to, kid?" asked Captain Steve Rogers.

* * *

AN: My favourite Avenger...is Iron Man but my _second_ favourite Avenger is now in this! Yaaay!

Now that I've essentially split everyone up, I think it's time to start bringing everything back together... ;)


	12. Chapter Eleven: The Truth

Sorry this is late - first week at college. I'll keep trying to work on this at least once a day, though.

Review replies;

**Night-Waker:** Well, if you need a pep talk, why not get it from Captain America? Thanks for reading!

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**SOLmaster:** The poor fellow's not had a good day at all, has he? Danke schon!

**coxal14:** Dang straight he isn't! :D Thank ye!

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The Truth**

The streets of Amity Park were deserted.

Danny, Sam and Tucker walked through the wrecked streets in silence as darkness fell around them. The sides of the roads were lined with rubble, wrecked cars and the occasional destroyed military vehicle.

The Guys in White's counterattack had clearly failed disastrously, and by the silence on the wind, all resistance in Amity Park had ceased.

"Danny, you're gonna have to tell us what he told you," said Sam.

Danny didn't reply, turning a bend as if walking in a dream.

Casper High was at the end of the street, which was blocked by a downed attack helicopter. It was scorched, but not on fire.

"Danny, we can't help you unless you talk to us," snapped Sam.

Danny ignored her, climbing onto the helicopter. He looked over at Casper High, his eyes narrowing.

"Dude, come on!" exclaimed Tucker, "You've gotta snap out of this..."

"...ghosts," interrupted Danny, "In there."

There was a long silence.

"Friendly ghosts?" asked Tucker, hopefully.

"Only one way to find out," shrugged Danny.

He jumped down from the helicopter and strode over to the school doors. Sam and Tucker hurried after him.

The doors were locked, so Danny knocked on them.

"...unoccupied!" a voice called, unconvincingly.

Danny rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Lancer, it's me, Danny."

There was a creak as the door opened slightly. An eye peered out.

Then the door flung open with great force, slamming Tucker in the face.

"Mr. Fenton! Ms. Manson!" Mr. Lancer exclaimed, "_The Picture of Dorian Grey,_ you look like you've been hit by a tank!"

"I'm here too, Mr. Lancer," mumbled Tucker, pulling himself off the ground.

"Oh, right, Mr. Foley," nodded Lancer, "I apologise. Now get inside, before they find you!"

He dragged Danny in by the collar. Sam and Tucker looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him in.

* * *

Jimmy, Tony, Atkinson, Fury, Hill, Thourrel and Gidley were standing on the bridge of the _Valiant_, looking over a holographic map of Amity Park.

"...two dozen Harrier GR.10s – specialised aircraft, you'll see – plus fighter coverage from SHIELD F-35Cs and UNIT Eurofighters," Gidley nodded, reading off from a list, "We have roughly a battalion worth of infantry if we pool all our commands together, light armour and a platoon of Challengers aboard _Valiant_, which we can airlift to Amity aboard..."

"Major Gidley, not all of us have an encyclopaedic knowledge of military hardware," grumbled Thourrel, "Get to the point, man!"

"We have enough air and ground forces to support the plan for about three hours, if we go all out," said Gidley, "We can't guarantee we'll be able to get to the portal."

"And with Stark and Neutron?" quizzed Atkinson, "With Ms. Wakeman? With the younger Phantom?"

"It's still not looking good, sir," replied Gidley.

There was a long silence.

"Well, everyone here knows what they're getting into," said Atkinson, grimly.

He turned to Tony.

"Mr. Stark, take Thourrel and Mr. Neutron to the lab," he ordered, "There are components from RERE's attempt at anti-ghost weapon – it's called Project Titan. Do what you like with them, but have it done within two hours."

"You want me to build a highly sophisticated combat suit in two hours?" asked Tony.

"Yes."

"Sure, no problem," shrugged Tony.

* * *

Down in the hangar, Steve was sitting next to Timmy.

"So, what's the problem?" he asked.

"I'm useless," grunted Timmy.

"What makes you think that?" said Steve.

"Look at me," snapped Timmy, "I'm short, I'm weak and I'm dumb as rocks. If I didn't have fai-holograms, I'd be nothing."

He sighed and looked at his feet.

"Maybe if I wasn't so terrible, Fletcher would still be here," he muttered.

"Fletcher knew what he was getting into," reminded Steve.

"It doesn't make it better," sighed Timmy.

"No," nodded Steve, "It doesn't."

There was a long silence.

"You couldn't have done anything," said Steve, "No-one could have."

"_You_ could have," snapped Timmy, "You're a super-solider..."

"...and I've lost people too," interrupted Steve, "People who were...very close to me. People I wish to God I could have saved."

He sighed and shook his head.

"But you can't let it tear you up," he added, "You have to keep going. It's what they'd want. And if you can do that, then you've got all the strength you need."

He smiled a little.

"Besides," he finished, "You don't need to be a genius to be smart. Just be a little...creative."

_"__Captain Rogers and Mr. Turner to the bridge, Captain Rogers and Mr. Turner to the bridge._"

Steve looked up as the PA system sounded.

"You need any more time to..."

"Go ahead," replied Timmy, smiling a little, "I'll be right there. I've got a couple of favours to call in."

Steve nodded and ran out the door.

Timmy crossed his arms as Cosmo, Wanda and Poof changed out of their disguises.

"Favours?" asked Wanda.

"Yeah," nodded Timmy, "I just had a thought – I'm pretty sure Jorgen owes me."

* * *

Danny, Sam and Tucker had been escorted to the English class, and were now standing somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the room – right between the A-List and Vlad Masters, who was talking in hushed tones with Damon and a suited man Danny didn't recognise. Spongebob and Sandy had beat them there, and were sitting in the corner – Danny had gotten a few odd looks when he had been greeted by them.

Lancer was at the front of the class, watching an old TV.

_"__...we can now confirm Elmerton has fallen,_" the man on screen was saying, _"The Guys in White have been decisively defeated, and US Marines and National Guardsmen are being pushed away from the outskirts of town. Evacuation appear to no longer be possible. We'll take you to Lance Thunder on the ground in the Marine ca..."_

The screen turned to static.

"_There is nothing you can do to save yourselves."_

The Warlord's face, cast in shadow, appeared on screen. Somebody screamed.

_"__Your armies are vanquished. Resistance. Is. Pointless."_

Lancer pressed frantically at the remote, but nothing happened.

_"__Pray to your gods...for what good it will do,"_ continued the Warlord, _"In the end, you are totally..._lost_. This Earth shall be cleansed of all intelligent life."_

The Warlord narrowed his eyes.

_"__The Age of Humanity is over."_

The television promptly exploded. Dash squealed and jumped back.

Kwan raised an arm.

"Mr. Lancer?" he asked, "Seeing that we're all gonna die, can I get an exemption on my essay?"

"I'm sick of this."

Danny walked to the front of the class.

"Is this how it all ends?" he demanded, "Do we just sit here cowering until he kills us all? Or do we fight back?!"

"With what?" demanded Dash.

"We'll make our own ghost hunting weapons," replied Danny, "We find the ghosts, we team up with them, and we close that portal!"

"And if we can't do it?" asked Star, crossing her arms.

"Then at least we tried something," said Danny, "You, suit guy! Where are the ghosts?"

"There are no ghosts in Casper..." began the suited man.

"Coulson, we can trust him, he's a good kid," snapped Damon.

Coulson paused, then nodded.

"They're gathered in the gym," he said.

"Thanks Mr. Grey," grinned Danny, "Now, who's with me? Who wants to fight?!"

"Why should we follow you, Fenturd?" spat Dash, "Come on! You're just a scrawny little dork with loser parents! Since when can a coward like you fight?"

"You take that back, Baxter," snarled Sam.

"See! He's letting his _girlfriend _fight his battles for-"

"You're right."

All eyes turned to Danny, who was staring straight at Dash.

"Why should you follow Danny Fenton?" he said, "Well, Dash..."

He clenched his fists and changed forms. Damon, Dash and the rest of the A-List recoiled in shock, Sam and Tucker's jaws dropped, and Vlad and Coulson raised eyebrows.

"...you'd be surprised," finished Danny.

"I knew it," grunted Lancer.

"Now, I'm gonna ask again," said Danny, "Who's with me?"

He raised a fist in the air.

Sam and Tucker raised theirs almost immediately, followed by Spongebob and Sandy. Vlad sighed heavy and raised his, followed by Damon and Coulson. Then, one by one, everyone else in the room lifted their fists, until only Dash was left.

"...well, this is the most awkward moment of my life," muttered Dash, uncomfortably raising his fist.

"Great," nodded Danny, "Tucker, Mikey, get to the science labs and build something we can use. Dash, Kwan, whip everyone into shape – and yes, that means _you_, Paulina. Vlad, come with me, we need to talk to the ghosts."

* * *

"What is this stuff?"

Jack, Maddie, Sergeant Hoffman and a younger marine were climbing through some rubble, heading across town in search of any citizens left in the ruins. The marine was poking his rifle at a wall covered in green fungi.

"You ever read H. G. Wells, son?" asked Hoffman, "You ever hear the term 'red weed?'"

The marine shook his head.

"They're terraforming us, private," said Hoffman, "Changing the world to suit their needs. It's not invasion, it's colonisation. Now stand up straight or I'll terraform your..."

"What do you think of Danny Phantom?" Maddie asked out loud.

"Phantom?" said the marine, enthusiastically, "The guy's a hero! We need more people like him!"

"He's a ghost," snorted Jack, "He's just manipulating public opinion for his own gain! I mean, he keeps trying to turn people against _Vlad_, for Pete's sake..."

"I've always been leery of vigilantes," grunted Hoffman, "But Phantom's done a lot. I'd say he's alright in my book."

"Why'd you ask, Mads?" asked Jack.

"Just...thinking out loud," replied Maddie, quietly.

They climbed over a pile of rubble and found themselves looking over the Amity Park Museum. The roof had been torn away, and had landed in pieces on the next-door building.

"Well, nobody's in there," said Hoffman, "Nowhere to hide. Still, might be something we can use in there."

He turned around.

"Mr. Fenton, Mrs. Fenton, move on Casper," he snapped, "Private Pyle and I will delve through that mess."

"...my name's not..."

"Shut up, Pyle."

The two marines jumped down from the rubble and started heading to the museum. Jack looked around the wreckage, shaking his head.

"Danny and Jazz," he muttered, "Do you think they're still out there?"

Maddie put a hand on his shoulder.

"They're Fentons, Jack," she replied, "They'll handle themselves just fine."

* * *

AN: _War of the Worlds_ reference for the win!


	13. Chapter Twelve: The Team

Sorry for the wait, college happened.

Review replies;

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**SOLmaster:** Way I see it, if you're going to reveal that you have superpowers, why not do it with style? Thanks for reviewing!

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Better Danny then the GIW, eh? Thanks for the review!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Oh, most certainly! A fine bit of literature! Thanks very much.

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Well, there's no point in keeping it secret if the world ends, eh? Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: The Team**

"Turner, what you are asking for is _unacceptable!_" thundered Jorgen.

"But it's for the safety of the world!" Timmy whined, "Come on, you've gotta have some kind of powerful magical weapons I can borrow!"

There was a pause.

"I'll give 'em back!"

Timmy and Jorgen were having a very awkward conversation in one of the toilet stalls in the heart of the _Valiant._

"No," snarled Jorgen, "If it were anyone else, maybe, but _never_ tiny Timmy Turner! You cannot be trusted with them!"

"Alright, _fine_," snapped Timmy, "_Don't _help me. But what're you gonna do when the world is destroyed, huh Jorgen? No world, no kids. No kids, no wishes. No wishes...well, then what do you do?"

There was a very long silence.

Finally, Jorgen narrowed his eyes.

"Just this once, Turner," he snapped, "But if _anything_ happens to my stuff, I will make you sweep the whole of Fairy World..._with a toothbrush_."

"Noted," nodded Timmy, "What've you got?"

* * *

Dani, Chester and AJ were sitting on the edge of the bridge, watching Atkinson, Fury and the others talk about strategy and logistics and other boring things.

"Wow," said Chester, "I never thought saving the world would be so wordy."

The door opened suddenly, and Timmy ran inside, carrying a large crate.

"Guys, Jorgen gave me stuff! Pass it around!" he shouted.

"Who?" asked AJ.

"Uh...he's an...um..._acquaintance_," replied Timmy, quickly, "And he has magical tools we can use to fight the Warlord!"

"Magic?" quizzed AJ, sceptically.

"Seems legit," shrugged Chester.

Timmy dropped the box and opened it.

"Okay, Chester, you're first!" he said, pulling out an old suit of armour and a Roman-style helmet, "This is a suit of armour from the Ninth Legion, enchanted by some druids. It should be nearly impossible to damage it. Also, the Sword of Damocles. It's not actually magic but it _is _really cool."

Chester grabbed the sword and looked it over.

"It is, it is," he nodded, "This Jorgen guy has taste."

"AJ," continued Timmy, pulling out a trident and a blue cloak, "This is Trishula, Shiva's trident. You can throw it at anything and it always comes back to you. The cloak is the Falcon's cloak, and it lets you fly. Not for long though, just short bursts."

"Hmm...must have some kind of jetpack in it," mused AJ, looking over the cloak.

"And finally, Isis' staff," finished Timmy, handing the short staff to Dani, "It lets you heal."

"How do you know all this stuff?" asked Dani.

"I don't," replied Timmy, "I'm just repeating what Jorgen said."

"All hands, attention if you please."

Captain Richardson had just spoken into the ship's PA system.

Atkinson turned to Fury.

"It's all yours, if you please," he said.

Fury nodded, and walked over to the microphone.

"This is Director Nicholas Fury."

* * *

_"__In just a few minutes, Operation Kickback will begin. All of us – SHIELD, UNIT, RERE and civilian – will need to do our parts."_

In the labs, Jimmy checked over his tornado blaster. Next to his, Doctor Thourrel fiddled with a knob, before nodding to Tony and motioning to a steel door.

_"__The Warlord thinks he has won. He thinks that we are going to lay down and let him take over our world. We are going to show him just how wrong he is."_

Steve walked into the armoury of the Helicarrier, keying a number into a keypad. A metal safe opened, revealing his uniform and shield.

_"__We are going to take this fight right back to where it started. We are going to retake Amity Park, and we are going to kick his undead goons right back into the hellhole from which they came."_

Timmy led Dani, Chester and AJ onto the flight deck of the _Valiant_, the latter two decked out in armour and cloak respectively. Around them, pilots were rushing through the storm to their planes, jumping into the cockpits.

_"__Many of us may not return. Many more have fallen already. Their sacrifice will _not_ be in vain."_

Behind them, Jimmy, Valerie, Jenny and Jazz emerged from the fog. Valerie was decked out in her armour.

_"__It is at times like this that I am reminded of the words of a great man."_

Carl, Sheen and Patrick emerged behind them, looking a little bit nervous but determined nonetheless.

_"__I ask you to remember these words as you go into the night, into the darkest hour that comes before the dawn."_

Jimmy picked up the pace, standing beside Timmy. The two glanced at each other for a second, then grinned and shook hands.

_"__If you are going through hell...keep going."_

* * *

"What've we got?" asked Tucker.

"Well," shrugged Mikey, "I _was _thinking of making an anti-ghost homing missile system, but we didn't have any homing missiles in the lab. So I made this."

He showed Tucker a small tube with a bottle of ectoplasma sticking out of the side.

"It's a tube that sprays ectoplasma," he said.

Tucker, Mikey, Spongebob, Sandy and the rest of the students (and Lancer) were standing outside Casper High, waiting for Danny and Vlad to come back with the ghosts. It was twilight, and storm clouds were forming above them.

"It's bad enough that I have to fight these ghosts," sniffed Paulina, "But do I have to do it in the rain?"

"Oh, grow up," muttered Sam.

"_Excuse me?_" spluttered Paulina, "Do you have any idea who you're talking to, Manson! I haven't sat in a classroom full of low-class nerds and losers all day for you to tell me what to do! When my father hears about this, he's going to..."

"_Shut up!_" the entire group groaned.

Paulina pouted.

The door opened, and Danny and Vlad (now in Plasmius form) emerged from the building. Behind them, Skulker, Ember, Technus and a variety of other ghosts phased through the walls, floating towards the group and touching down dramatically.

"Would it kill you to use the door?" muttered Danny.

"We have to keep up appearances, child," snapped Technus.

"Where's Mayor Masters?" asked Mr. Lancer.

"Oh, he's making his way back to City Hall," replied Vlad, grinning smugly, "He said he needed to make sure everyone there had evacuated. Very _noble_ of him, wouldn't you say?"

"Whatever you say, Plasmius," grunted Coulson, rolling his eyes.

"Alright guys," said Danny, "This is your last chance. If anybody wants to back out, now's your chance. We won't think badly of you."

"Mr. Fenton," snapped Mr. Lancer, "If I wanted to 'back out', I wouldn't be out here in the first place. You are my student and I will stand by you."

"You're Danny Phantom!" exclaimed Kwan, excitedly, "When am I ever gonna have the chance to help Danny Phantom again?"

"Beats the heck out of, like, laying down and dying," shrugged Star, "We're with you, right Paulina?"

"Anything for you, Phantom!" exclaimed Paulina, seeming to immediately forget her earlier complaints after Danny's appearance.

"We're with you until the end, Danny!" exclaimed Spongebob, Sandy giving a thumbs up.

"Do we even need to say anything?" asked Sam, grinning as Tucker put an arm around Danny's shoulder.

"Phantom?"

Danny jumped and turned around.

Jack and Maddie were standing at the end of the footpath leading to the road. Jack seemed to be reaching for a weapon, but Maddie was holding his arm.

"...so, are you here to help?" asked Danny, brightly.

Maddie stepped forward (although still motioning for Jack to stay still), slipping off her goggles. She looked Danny in the eye.

"I want the _truth_, Danny," she said.

Danny's eyes widened and he turned pale.

"I-I don't know wh-what you're talking about, Mo-Mad-Mrs. Fenton," exclaimed Danny, "I mean, unless you want to know if I work for the Warlord because I don't I mean..."

"You don't need to lie, Danny," replied Maddie, "I don't care if you're a ghost or a human or a _werewolf_, for heaven's sake. You are my _son_, and I love you whatever you are."

Danny was quiet for a few second, trying to force words through his mouth. Jack was glancing between his wife and Danny, the gears in his brain slowly beginning to turn.

"...you...you really mean that?" he breathed.

"Of course," said Maddie, a small smile crossing her face.

Danny looked over to Jack. His father had pulled his hand away from his belt and was slowly walking towards them.

"I'm sorry," whimpered Danny, "I thought...I was..."

"_We're _the ones that should be sorry, Danny," said Jack, putting a hand on his son's shoulder, "But we love you...and I am so _proud _of you."

Behind them, a teary Dash blew his nose on Kwan's sleeve.

"I'm half-ghost," admitted Danny, "I got zapped by the portal. I wanted to tell you, but I was just so scared and..."

"Isn't this just _heart-warming?_"

All eyes fell on the end of the street. The Warlord was standing in the road, his arms crossed, flanked by the Evil Syndicate and Napoleon. His army was formed up behind him.

"I should have known you'd return here," he snapped, "It is the only place you have left to go."

He cracked his knuckles.

"But I'm afraid this is where it ends, Danny Phantom," he said, "There is a kingdom to fight for – a throne to win."

He smirked, and the smile was deeply unnatural on his skull-like face.

"_En garde."_

* * *

I was going to have a 'Danny negotiates with ghosts' scene here, but I figured I'd leave it and just get straight to the point.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Battle

I had a lot of fun with this chapter.

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** Well, if you ask me, Jack and Maddie would never reject Danny. :) Thanks for reading!

**LightandDarkness Warrior: **LET BATTLE BE JOINED! Thanks for reviewing.

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** It's a Churchill quote. :) Wait no more, kind sir, we have begun! Thanks for the review.

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The Battle**

Danny stepped onto the road, fists clenched. His parents, Spongebob, Sandy, Sam and Tucker backed him up, while the rest of the students held back.

"I know how to beat you," said Danny, "I know about the Well of Souls."

The Warlord raised an eyebrow.

"I presume Romulus told you about this?"

"Romulus?" quizzed Maddie, "Who's Romulus?"

"Well, he was one of the founders of Rome," shrugged Sam, "According to legend, he killed his brother Remus for control over..."

She trailed off as realisation dawned over her.

"...you're kidding," she blurted.

"He's the Man in the White Suit," nodded Danny, "Well, there's a bit of trivia for us."

He shrugged, and turned back to the Warlord.

"I'm gonna offer you a chance, Warlord," he said, "This has gone on long enough. Go back to the Well and take your army with you."

"You dare to make demands of me?" snarled the Warlord.

"I'm giving you a chance, Alexander," replied Danny.

The Warlord glared. Danny didn't flinch.

"We will meet at the Well of Souls," he snapped, "_If _you can get past my army."

He jumped into the air and soared into the sky, heading for his portal.

"Now, mon ami," sneered Napoleon, stepping forward, "Where were we?"

The soldiers behind him raised their weapons.

"Ah yes," nodded Napoleon," Of course. _Fi-"_

Quite suddenly, the road in front of Napoleon exploded, sending himself, the Syndicate and the soldiers flying backwards.

Jenny touched down on the tarmac, a rocket extended from each shoulder. Behind her, Dani, Valerie, AJ and Jimmy also landed, the latter on his jetpack. With a poof of smoke, Timmy, Patrick, Chester and Jazz materialised behind them.

Above them, a duo of fighter jets thundered towards them, firing ectoplasmic rockets at the formations of ghost soldiers, who were only just beginning to react to the sudden attack. The soldiers scattered, losing cohesion as the rockets exploded around them.

A ghost tank rumbled around the corner, it's turret aiming at the assembled ghost fighters. It ground to a halt, preparing to fire. Then there was a sonic boom as a red-and-gold armoured suit slammed fist-first into the turret, crushing it and disabling the tank.

Tony raised a fist, which was glowing green.

"Ectoranium fists," he mused, "Not a bad idea, fudgehead."

Jimmy rolled his eyes as the last ghost soldiers made a run for it.

"Jimmy?" exclaimed Danny, "Timmy, Dani, you're okay!"

"Course we are," shrugged Jimmy, "We wouldn't leave a friend behind, would we?"

"That, and you owe me five bucks," grinned Timmy.

Behind them, a Quinjet and a helicopter landed in the street, dropping off Steve, Atkinson, Carl, Sheen and a platoon of RERE soldiers.

"Alright, everyone," boomed Jimmy, "This is it. We're gonna kick this Warlord back into whatever part of the Ghost Zone he came from."

He raised a fist.

"Nicktoons, Unite!" he cried.

"Nicktoons Unite?" muttered Tony, leaning next to Steve and crossing his arms, "Ain't that a bit corny?"

"Avengers assemble," said Steve, bluntly.

"Good point."

* * *

All across the city of Amity Park, Quinjets and helicopters were touching down, dropping off reinforcements to fight the Warlord. Above them, SHIELD and UNIT aircraft were trying to wrestle control of the skies from the shadows in a massive dogfight. On the streets, tanks rolled through the narrow gaps between buildings, slowly pushing the Warlord's soldiers back towards the ruins of Fenton Works.

Jazz was leading some of the Casper High students down an alleyway. They rounded a bend and found their path blocked by Spectra.

"Jazz Fenton," she sneered, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Ms. Spectra?" exclaimed Star.

"Guess that explains why she left the school," shrugged Kwan.

"Oh, I can just _feel _your emotions right now," chuckled Spectra, "You don't really think you can win! You're just fighting back to stop yourselves from falling to despair! Don't do that – _embrace _the misery! Besides, you're too worthless to really threaten the Warlord. You're just a bunch of..."

"Enough mind games, Spectra, I'm a psychotherapist," said Jazz, raising the Fenton Bazooka and firing.

The blast hit Spectra square in the face, sending her flying backwards through a wall. She landed inside a warehouse, smashing into a pile of empty crates.

"Kwan, keep going," snapped Jazz, "I'll deal with her."

"Awesome, I'm in charge of something!" cheered Kwan.

Jazz blinked.

"Actually, no," she decided, "Star, _you_ take charge."

Kwan groaned. Star nodded, and led the students onward down the alley.

Jazz smirked and stepped through the hole.

"Now, where were we?"

Star led the group out onto an open street, skidding to a halt on the curb as a line of tanks rolled by. Steve stood on the turret of the lead tank, giving instructions to the tank commander.

Suddenly, a ghost tank lumbered around the corner at the end of the street, aiming its cannon at the lead tank. With a thunderous roar, it fired – Steve raised his shield and deflected the shot into the air.

Up in the air, Tony dodged the shot, muttering something about friendly fire under his breath. He twisted in the air, turning around to fire small rockets on a pack of following shadows. The rockets met their marks, and the shadows were splattered into black goop.

Valerie roared past him on her sled, followed by a rotting, ghostly fighter plane. She jumped from her sled and back-flipped, firing her ectorays at the engine. It erupted into green flame and the plane nosedived to earth.

It slammed into the ground in the park, right behind Dash (who almost jumped out of his skin.) He, Paulina, Mikey and Nathan Lester were being led through the park by Damon.

Ducking through a hedge, they found themselves face to face with several ghost soldiers. They made to raise their weapons but were immediately sprayed by a barrage of Mikey's 'Ectotubes.'

One of the soldiers' helmets was knocked off and rolled down the road. It rolled past Atkinson and a small squad of RERE troops, who were advancing slowly down the road, and eventually was stopped by AJ's leg.

AJ leapt into the air with the help of his cloak, hurling his trident at Elizabeth Bathory. The trident tripped her off her feet before returning to AJ, leaving Chester open to charge in, sword raised. He swung the sword – Elizabeth grabbed the blade, but Chester lifted it up again and hurled it over his shoulder, sending her flying into a wall.

She landed, unconscious, behind Fury, Coulson and Hill, who were back to back and firing their weapons at Warlord soldiers in all directions. Not far away from them, Frederick the Great had been backed into a wall by Carl and Sheen, carrying a can of Purple Flurp and a Cheese Ray respectively.

Frederick raised his arm as if to dramatically declare something when the wall crumbled and he was knocked to the ground. A Sherman tank rolled out onto the street – Gunnery Sergeant Hoffman hung out the hatch, waving a sword.

The tank rolled down the road, passing a small alleyway in which Patrick and Sandy were advancing on the Box Ghost. The ghost raised his arms and a flurry of cardboard boxes rained on the duo, bouncing harmlessly off their heads. Sandy rolled her eyes as Patrick pulled a Fenton Thermos out of his pants.

On the other side of the alley, Dani had picked up a ghost soldier by the collar. She punted him through the air towards Ember, who batted him into the sky with her guitar. To the side, Skulker and Technus watched him fly away – Technus whistled and handed Skulker a twenty.

The ghost soldier landed in a crater outside the Foley residence, where Tucker and Mr. Lancer were fighting off a swarm of shadows with the Creep Stick and Jack O'Nine Tails respectively. A soldier ran towards them, lunging at Mr. Lancer – the English teacher caught in a headlock and flipped him to the ground. Tucker's jaw dropped.

A few dozen metres away, Danny, Timmy, Jimmy, Spongebob and Jenny advanced on the Syndicate.

"The Warlord cannot be defeated, Neutron!" spat Calamitous, "You cannot win!"

"Oh really?" demanded Jimmy, "Well, in that case..."

Dani, Jazz, Valerie, Patrick, Sandy, Carl, Sheen, Chester and AJ emerged from the fog behind them. They were quickly followed by the Fentons, the kids of Casper High, Tony and Steve, SHIELD, RERE, UNIT and even the floating form of Vlad Plasmius. All were ready to attack.

"...tell him we're coming."

The Syndicate turned and fled.

* * *

AN: _Totally_ cribbed the idea of a single connected battle scene from _Avengers_. And yes, I know I missed Vlad. Don't worry, he'll get his fair share...

'Twas listening to this while writing this, incidentally - I think it fits: www . youtube . com (slash) watch?v=MbiVn7vhov8


	15. Chapter Fourteen: The Choice

For once, I don't really have anything to say up here. Huh.

Review replies;

**Autobot-Outcast: **He picked it up because it's cool. Also, I was wondering if anyone would get that reference. Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange: **Ah, that was a most cool scene... Thanks for the review!

**SOLmaster:** Well, hopefully it'll only get more epic. I'm certainly aiming to make it so. :) Thanks for reviewing!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Well, I couldn't leave that question unanswered. Glad you liked it! Thanks very much!

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Maybe we can force a Windows error on him or something. :P Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: The Choice**

The makeshift infirmary had been built in a small house about two hundred yards from the remains of Fenton Works. The attack had slowed down here. A small team of RERE commandos had been sent forward to secure the Fenton Portal, but the Warlord seemed content to let them be.

For now.

Danny stood under the doorway, looking out across the quiet street towards his house. He had been staring at it for some time.

"Danny?"

Sam had walked up behind him, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," nodded Danny, "Just working out what I'm gonna do."

"What did the Ma-did Romulus tell you?" asked Sam.

"He told me what the Warlord wants," replied Danny, "He thinks I'm the rightful king of the Ghost Zone."

"Why the heck would he..."

"I beat Pariah Dark," said Danny, "Apparently that makes me king."

Sam shook her head.

"That is a _stupid_ succession system," she scoffed.

"E-yep," nodded Danny, smirking.

He turned to face Sam, taking her hands in his.

"Look," he said, "I don't know if we're gonna survive today. I need to know...I need...um..."

He bit his tongue.

"If we survive this," he said, "I...I wanna know if you'll..."

Sam snorted.

"Finally stopped being the Clueless One, huh?" she said.

"Yeah," nodded Danny, "I finally have...unless you're talking about something else, because if you are I'm gonna look like..."

Sam put a finger on his lips.

"I know what you're saying," she replied, "And you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear it."

Danny chuckled.

"I _am_ pretty clueless."

He leaned inwards.

"I might never get another chance to say this, so I'm just gonna go ahead and say it," he said, "I love you, Sam Manson."

"I love you," Sam replied, her ears watering and her voice beginning to crack, "You clueless moron."

They leaned in close and kissed. It did not last long, but it was enough.

"Sam!"

The two slowly pulled out of the kiss and turned around. Tucker was standing in the hallway behind them.

"Hill wants you," he said, "She needs a go-between with the ghosts."

Sam nodded.

"I'll see you later, Danny," she said, walking down the hall and around the corner.

Tucker looked back at Danny. He was smiling, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes and a small stream of tears streaked his cheek.

"I knew it," Tucker said softly, grinning at his friend before following Sam.

"No, Sam," he replied quietly, "You won't."

"I see you've made your peace, then?"

Atkinson emerged from a door, shutting it behind him.

"You knew about all of this," replied Danny, "The Warlord, the invasion, the Realm Divide; why didn't you tell us?"

"There was nothing you could have done to prevent this," replied Atkinson, "Why ruin your last few months?"

He and Danny stepped out the door, under the increasingly threatening clouds.

"Richardson radioed in," said Atkinson, "They're at the portal and waiting on your go. We think the Warlord is waiting for you to reach the Well of Souls before he sends his army back in."

"Combat by champion," sighed Danny.

He looked up at the massive portal above.

"What about you?" asked Danny.

"I intend to send a small team into the Ghost Zone after you," replied Atkinson, "They'll try to knock out Napoleon and the Warlord's other commanders. If XJ-9's belief that they have Doctor Wakeman is correct, they will also free her and any other captives."

"And the commanders?"

"Mostly likely in Pariah's keep," said Atkinson.

Danny down from the clouds and faced Atkinson.

"Don't let Sam follow me, alright?" he demanded, "I'm not losing her."

"You have my word," said Atkinson.

Danny nodded, turning back to the road.

"Are you not going to see your parents? Your team?" asked Atkinson.

Danny shook his head.

"One goodbye is hard enough, sir."

He began to walk down the street. Around him, drop by drop, the rain began to fall.

* * *

The whole house above Fenton Works had been torn off, so getting into the lab was as simple as climbing down the wall.

Danny dropped the last few feet to the ground, landing next to a couple of RERE soldiers and Captain Richardson. The portal was still active, it's green glow illuminating the falling rain. A somewhat battered Spectre Speeder was being readied for use in front of it.

"Fenton!" nodded Richardson, "I'd say it's good to see you, but...you know the term 'forlorn hope?'"

"Pretty sure I do," replied Danny.

"Ah well," shrugged Richardson, "We'll be through behind you. Private Elsmere will remain behind to shut off the portal behind us."

"Then how do you guys get back?" demanded Danny.

"The hope is that we'll be able to escape through the Warlord's own portal," replied Richardson, "But let's be realistic here, we're probably not coming back."

"Never say never."

"True enough," shrugged Richardson, "We'll move in after you. Good luck."

Danny walked towards the portal. For a moment, he looked into the swirling green vortex, before clenching his fists and flying through.

* * *

Sam walked out of the house, looking around. Danny had been gone when she emerged from Hill's meeting, and she wanted to keep him company while they waited for the final battle.

Instead she found Colonel Atkinson looking down the street towards Fenton Works, his face stern and unreadable.

"Atkinson!" called Sam, "Where's Danny?"

"He has gone to the Well of Souls," replied Atkinson, "To fight the Warlord, and to initiate the Realm Divide."

"The realm what?" demanded Sam, barely noticing the Nicktoons, Tucker, Jazz and Sandy emerging from the house behind her.

"The Realm Divide will give him the power to vanquish the Warlord's armies," replied Atkinson, "It will also seal off the Ghost Zone forever."

"_What?!_" demanded Jazz, "He can't do that! He..."

"It's all he can do," replied Atkinson.

"I'm going after him," growled Sam, "He's _not_ sacrificing himself."

"Then how, pray tell, will you defeat the Warlord?!" shouted Atkinson.

"_I'll_ do it," replied Sam.

"No, you won't," snapped Tucker, walking to her side, "I will."

Atkinson glanced over to the Nicktoons.

"...I suspect you're going to volunteer yourselves too?" he asked dryly.

"For Danny?" replied Timmy, "Every time."

"He's one of us," said Jimmy, "If he's being trapped forever in the Ghost Zone, I won't let him stay there alone."

"Besides, we saved him once," added Jenny, "If he gets himself stuck, we'd all have wasted our time."

"And you?" asked Atkinson, looking at Spongebob, "I'm not sure you'd have the backbone to..."

"I'm ready," replied Spongebob, uncharacteristically seriously.

Atkinson looked over them.

"I gave my word to Mr. Fenton that I wouldn't let you follow him," he said, sternly.

"You can't-" began Jazz.

"I am an intelligence officer," continued Atkinson, "And therefore lie habitually. Get going."

He turned his back and walked away.

The group stared at his back for a moment, before turning back in the direction of Fenton Works.

"An eternity in the Ghost Zone," mused Sandy, "Well, I've managed living under the sea pretty fine."

"Nobody's getting stranded anywhere," snapped Jimmy, "I have a plan."

There was a moment's silence.

"Well, okay, it's more of a _theory_, I'll explain as we go."

* * *

Danny stood on one of the Ghost Zone's many rocks, looking down over a massive, swirling vortex.

The Well of Souls had not been hard to find – it was actually in a straight line from the portal, about five minute's flight away. The Warlord must have changed the geography of the Ghost Zone for him. If it were anyone else, it might have been a nice sentiment.

_Well, here I am. Standing on a rock looking over the place where I think I'm gonna die._

He looked down, slowly breathing in and out.

_I thought I'd freeze up or something, but now I'm here, I'm not afraid._

_I've lived a pretty good life. While most kids were worrying about homework and their love lives, I was fighting ghosts, saving the world and making the best friends anyone ever had. Guess I did pretty good for some average teenager._

_I'm not scared. The Warlord can waste me like a fly but he can't make me fear him._

_This is my destiny._

_My name is Danny Phantom...and I'm going to stop you, Alexander._

He extended his arms and allowed himself to fall forward off the rock, swan diving into the vortex below. There was the sound of rushing wind, and then everything faded to white.

* * *

AN: Fiction: When it only starts raining when it needs to be dramatic.

We're on the home stretch now, and I intend to go all out in making it as good as it can possibly be. Wish me luck!


	16. Chapter Fifteen: The Call

I'd say we're about three chapters away from the end, at a guess.

Review replies;

**Night-Waker:** It is fun to make catch-phrases sound epic. :D Thanks for reading!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Oh thank goodness, it wasn't corny. Phew. And of course, none of the Nicktoons are going to abandon Danny; he's one of their own! Thanks for reviewing!

**TweenisodeOrange:** True, though. :D You're about to find out Jimmy's 'theory' - hope it doesn't disappoint. Thanks for the review!

**Guest:** Indeed, it's all we really have. Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: The Call**

"Phantom."

Danny opened his eyes.

He was laid on a stone floor inside a ruined temple. He was surrounded by cracked pillars holding up a marble roof – before each pillar rested a headless marble statue of an ancient Greek soldier. Beyond the pillars was nothing but an endless void of swirling shades of red.

He rolled onto his back. A giant painting covered the roof of the temple, depicting the Warlord standing over Pariah Dark's body, holding a crown in his hand.

"What do you think of my abode?"

Danny sat up. The Warlord was standing on the other side of the temple, in front of a statue of what looked like one of the cloaked Ancients. A lever was built into the base of the statue, under which was an inscription – _Realm Divide_.

Danny stood up, clenching his fists.

"What do I think?" he replied, "I think you're a bit obsessed."

"I don't deny it," replied the Warlord, "The thought of being King kept me going through the centuries of exile I endured. Without it, I would have gone mad."

"Yeah, because you're _totally_ sane right now," scoffed Danny.

He looked at the lever.

"So, why haven't you pulled that?" asked Danny.

"Only the King, crowned or uncrowned, may initiate the Realm Divide," snapped the Warlord, "Besides, I intend to rule both realms."

"Well then," nodded Danny, "You're standing in front of something I want. Shall we?"

"Gladly," sniffed the Warlord, "Have at you."

He raised his arms, creating a ball of ectoplasm between them.

* * *

"Contacts on radar, the Warlord's troops are coming back!" exclaimed Damon, looking up from a laptop.

"You heard the man!" thundered Maddie, "Ready up!"

Jack and Maddie barrelled out the front of the house. Coulson and Steve were already out there, directing soldiers into cover of the rubble. Above them, ranks of ghostly troops and shadows began to descend from the massive portal in the sky.

"Where's Danny?" demanded Maddie, preparing a Fenton Bazooka.

"Haven't seen him," replied Steve, "But I think Atk..."

"This is it, gentlemen!" exclaimed Atkinson as he and Fury burst out of the house, "One last effort!"

"Mr. Stark!" Fury shouted into his radio, "Bring the rain!"

There was a thunderous roar as Tony shot by above, a formation of fighter jets behind him. They went straight for the shadows, firing rockets and missiles from close range.

"_I'll keep them busy,"_ Tony replied, _"Try not to die down there – bad for PR."_

The soldiers landed on the ground. Without a beat, they charged straight for the house. The RERE and UNIT troops leant out of cover and fired, but their shots were of little effect against the massive wave heading towards them.

"Well," said Steve, holding up his shield, "Once more unto the breach."

He leapt over the rubble and ran straight for the soldiers.

"Wait a minute," mused Jack, "It's not just Danny...where are the Nicktoons?"

Any reply was interrupted by the ghost soldiers leaping over the rubble.

* * *

"Okay, here's my theory," said Jimmy as he shimmied down a pipe into the Fentons' lab, "I'll need to connect the recallers to the port..."

He trailed off. The Fenton portal was turned off – a single RERE soldier was ripping wires out of the control panel.

"...the heck are you doing?" demanded Dani.

"Private Elsmere, sir," replied the soldier, "I've been ordered to make sure nothing gets through here, sir."

"But we _need_ that!" exclaimed Jimmy, clenching at his hair, "Open it up!"

Elsmere pressed a button on the console. The portal sparked but nothing happened.

"Sorry sir."

Jimmy shook his head.

"Maybe I can do this without the portal," he muttered, "Guys, let's take a look at this console..."

The group made their way over to the console, but Sam stopped midway. She looked over to the portal. It's insides consisted mostly of wires and cords – save for the single 'ON' button on the inside...

* * *

Danny crashed into a pillar with great force, smashing it into dust. Almost unfazed, he bounced back towards the Warlord. Charging his left fist with an ectoplasmic ray, he uppercut the Warlord before firing the ray at his chest. The Warlord was forced back, but stayed on his feet.

The Warlord scowled, creating another ectoplasmic ball in his hands. He hurled it towards Danny, but the younger ghost leapt over it. He did not leap over the ray that followed it, however, and was forced into the ceiling. There was a loud crash, and a chunk of it fell to the ground.

Danny smirked.

"Sorry, I wrecked your painting!" he quipped.

"I'll wreck more than that," spat the Warlord.

"Don't think so," retorted Danny, his eyes glowing blue as he fired blasts of ice at his enemy. The Warlord dodged the first one and blocked the rest with his arm, which he coated in fire.

Danny's face fell.

"I had fire powers once," he muttered, dejectedly.

"Have some more," sneered the Warlord.

He sent a long last of fire from both hands, following Danny as he leapt out of the way. The fire slammed into Danny from behind, pushing him into another pillar. He kept the stream of fire going for several seconds, before finishing his attack.

"Well, that was easy," he sniffed.

The smoke from the fire cleared to reveal Danny standing on the pillar. He was singed, and his suit was torn in places, but he stood up straight regardless.

"Oh no," he said, "I'm gonna make you _work_ for this crown."

"You are lost, Phantom," snapped the Warlord, "Your friends are fighting for their lives as I speak. They will not win."

"You're selling them short, Warlord," replied Danny, "Never a good idea."

* * *

"Nope, not working," grumbled Jimmy, taking the wire out of his recaller, "If the portal was open..."

"Sorry, sir."

"We know, Elsmere, you've said it fifteen times," snapped Timmy.

He turned to Jimmy.

"What was your idea, anyway?" he asked.

"I thought I could get the recallers working again," replied Jimmy, "We could get help, and when we found Danny, we could get him out in time with a portal..._if this stupid thing were open!_"

He kicked the console.

"I've got an idea."

Jimmy turned. Sam was standing in front of the ghost portal, wearing a white-and-black jumpsuit.

"...okay, what's with the jumpsuit?" asked Sandy.

Tucker stepped forward.

"Sam, _no!_" he exclaimed.

"What other choice do we have, Tuck?" demanded Sandy, "The only way we're opening this portal is by pressing that button. Besides, Danny can't do it alone, and I won't let him."

"But...but you saw Danny when he...you won't be able to control..." stammered Tucker.

"I have to try," replied Sam.

"You're my only friends," pleaded Tucker, "I can't lose you both."

"If this works," said Sam, "You won't have to lose either of us."

She slammed her palm on the 'ON' button.

There was a flash of white, the portal turned green and suddenly the console lit up. Jimmy reattached the wire to his recaller – it activated immediately.

"It worked," he whispered.

"_Sam!_" exclaimed Tucker, trying to run for the portal. Jazz grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him.

Jimmy pressed a button on the recaller, lifting it up to his ear.

"Am I receiving? ...Cindy, it's me, Jimmy! I need your help! ...no, _really_, the world's about to end! Grab the Hovercraft and get over here!"

The white glow died down, revealing Sam limping out of the portal. Her jumpsuit had inverted, her hair had turned white and her eyes glowed green.

"I know where we need to go," she whispered hoarsely.

She turned to Timmy, pulling something out of the pocket of her jumpsuit.

"...you're kidding?" exclaimed Timmy, eyes widening.

"Take the amulet," replied Sam, "You're flying."

* * *

On the other side of the Fenton Portal, there was a flash of white. When it died down, it revealed a motley but determined group headed into the unknown.

Jimmy was at the wheel of the Hovercraft, Spongebob, Sandy, Cindy, Carl and Sheen riding in the back. Dani, Jenny, Valerie and AJ flew next to them, the latter holding Chester under his arm. Jazz and Tucker followed on the Fenton ATVs. Behind them, and heading in a different direction from the rest of the group, was Timmy – now in the form of a dragon. A weakened Sam and Private Elsmere rode on his back, and Cosmo and Wanda flew alongside him.

"We'll see you when this is over!" called Jimmy, "Candy Bar, I'm buying!"

"Looking forward to it!" Sam called back.

Jimmy grinned and looked away, steering in the direction of Pariah's Keep.

Suddenly, he felt a tapping on his shoulder.

"...okay, now say it again," asked Cindy, smirking.

Jimmy sighed heavily.

"I need your help," he said flatly.

"And _again_..."

* * *

Danny was thrown into the marble floor, landing with such force that it made a crater.

He wheezed heavily, but climbed to his feet, staring down the Warlord.

"That the best you got, Alex?" he said, wiping sweat and dust from his face.

"Why do you get up?" demanded the Warlord, "You are beaten! Lay down, accept it!"

"Just getting started, Warlord."

The Warlord smirked.

"You stand for your people even when there is no hope," he said, "Perhaps you really _are_ a king."

"I'm not a king," corrected Danny, "I'm a Phantom."

He leapt into the air, hovering mid-jump and firing another ice-blast. The battle was far from over.

* * *

AN: The ATV's come from Reality Trip, btw.

Also, I'm pretty sure writing halfa!Sam fics are some kind of DP fanfic rite of passage.


	17. Chapter Sixteen: The Final Battle

Okay, I'm just gonna write a little bit before bed...

_EIGHT PAGES LATER..._

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** Yeah, not a big fan of it myself, but I thought I might as well give it a go. Anyway, glad you liked it! Thanks for reading!

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**LightandDarkness Warrior:** Well, quite! Thanks for the review!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Who wouldn't be excited about turning into a dragon? =P Thanks very much!

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: The Final Battle**

Caught between a small army of ghost soldiers and the vast void of the Ghost Zone, protected only by the wreckage of the Spectre Speeder, Captain Richardson began to wonder why he'd volunteered for this mission.

He and three other RERE troopers cowered behind the cover as the ghost troops fired relentlessly at them (well, at least they couldn't aim). They were trapped, out of ammunition and pretty much doomed.

"Well," grunted a trooper, "Guess this is why they call it a 'forlorn hope'."

Richardson nodded, fixing a bayonet to his weapon.

"Well gentlemen," he muttered, "It's been a privilege."

He took a deep breath and prepared to make a final charge for Pariah's Keep when he heard a dim droning noise. It was getting louder and louder.

"...what in the name of..."

The Hovercraft pelted over them, landing in front of the Keep. Jimmy leapt out of it, firing the Tornado Blaster at the ghost soldiers on the steps. Behind him, Jenny and Valerie landed, firing rockets. The wall of the keep exploded, and the soldiers were sent flying.

"Come on!" called Jimmy, "One last effort, guys!"

He raced into the keep, the Nicktoons following after him.

Richardson blinked.

"...this had been a particularly strange day," he muttered, following after Jimmy.

* * *

Danny skidded along the marble floor of the temple, landing face-first in a crater. Wearily, he tried to get back up again, only to be forced down by a boot on his shoulder.

"You will not be getting up again, Phantom," snarled the Warlord.

He stomped down hard on Danny's back.

"You have fought valiantly," the Warlord admitted, "You are indeed a _worthy_ king. Such a shame to cut your reign short."

He unsheathed his sword, holding it at Danny's neck.

"The King is dead," he growled, "Long live the King."

Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting roar.

The Warlord looked up. A dragon was hurtling down towards him, mouth wide open. In a flash, it had scooped him up in its jaws and was soaring up into the sky, two figures dropping from it's back.

"That probably wasn't the effect he was hoping for," mused Sam, looking up at Timmy's handiwork.

Danny pulled himself out of the crater, dusting himself off. He looked over to Sam and Private Elsmere, his eyes wide.

"Sam?" he exclaimed, "How'd you get here? And who has the amulet, and what the heck are you wearing, and..."

He trailed off.

"Sorry sir," said Elsmere, "I was overruled, sir."

"Somebody had to get the portal open," shrugged Sam.

She turned to Elsmere, arms crossed.

"And come on, 'sir' isn't a punctuation mark, alright? Calm down."

"Sorry, ma'am."

Sam rolled her eyes.

Danny climbed to his feet, wincing a little as he stood on his left leg.

"Sam, do you know what you've done?" he exclaimed, "You can't just give yourself ghost powers! You need to learn, to _train_, to..."

"What was I supposed to do, Danny?" demanded Sam, "Leave you to die?"

"Yeah!" retorted Danny, "That was kind of the plan!"

"Well, it was a _stupid_ plan!" snapped Sam, "You can't beat him alone, Danny!"

"And what happens if you die?!" shouted Danny, putting his hands on Sam's shoulders and shaking her.

"Then I die with you," replied Sam, "We're a team, Danny."

"Uh, sirs?" gulped Elsmere, "Don't mean to interrupt the reunion, sirs, but we might have a problem..."

They looked up.

The Warlord was on Timmy's neck, holding onto his head as if it were a set of reins. He was wrestling him down, out of the sky and towards the temple. With a mighty crash, they slammed into the bottom-left corner, levelling the entire corner and kicking up a plume of dust and smoke.

When it cleared, the Warlord was striding away from the wreckage, the unconscious form of Timmy laying in the middle of the crater.

"Timmy!"

There was a poof of smoke, and Wanda appeared next to him, holding Cosmo in hammer form. She raised the hammer to attack, face red with rage – the Warlord extended an arm and fired an ectoblast at her, sending her flying into the ground.

"You wish to fight me, madam?" he sneered.

Danny stepped in front of her.

"I'm the one you want, Alexander," he snarled.

The Warlord extended an arm and Danny was surrounded by a green aura. He flicked his arm to the left, and Danny soared off into another column.

"Bring it on, Warlord," snapped Sam.

"Are your legs supposed to be invisible, madam?"

Sam looked down. Her legs had disappeared.

"You have been one of us for twenty minutes and you intend to challenge a king," sniffed the Warlord, "How do you expect this to end?"

Sam raised an arm. It glowed green for a second, then it fizzled out.

"En garde, madam," said the Warlord.

He drew his sword again and charged.

* * *

Jimmy and company ran into the entrance hall of the keep. Jimmy skidded to a halt, his eyes wide.

A gigantic tank, three times the size of the Warlord's normal tanks and with no less than four turrets, was sitting in the entrance hall, Napoleon seated in the commander's hatch. The main gun was pointed at Jimmy, and was preparing to fire.

It fired. Jimmy was shoved out of the way by Cindy, but the ectoplasmic shell exploded next to them, knocking them hard into a wall.

Jenny rocketed into the air, firing a volley of rockets at the top of the tank. They bounced off the thick armour, and one of the smaller turrets immediately fired back. The shot hit, and Jenny was knocked out of the sky, crashing through a wall and into the dungeon.

Rubbing her head, she groggily climbed to her feet. She was standing in a hallway between several cells.

She turned around and came face to face with her mother.

* * *

In the streets of Amity Park, Jack and Maddie were surrounded by ghosts.

They came from all sides, including above. The Fenton Bazooka had long run out of charge, and they were now down to defending themselves with the Jack O'Nine Tails and the Anti-Creep Stick respectively. They were being pushed back into the house, inch-by-inch.

There was a sudden crash, and a couple of ghost soldiers were knocked aside. Tony had come crashing into the street, his armour a torn mess. Almost immediately on landing, Steve and Coulson pushed through the chaos towards him. Steve gestured to Jack and Maddie to come over. The four picked up the iron-suited behemoth and carried him inside.

Not far away, Vlad was fighting through shades among the rooftops when he spied three figures on a nearby roof. He narrowed his eyes and soared towards them, fists clenched. The Syndicate were about to have their day ruined.

* * *

Sam ducked under a swing of the Warlord's sword, trying for an uppercut while he was recovering. She was too slow, and the Warlord grabbed her fist. He used it to swing he over his shoulder, slamming her into the ground again.

He swung round, lifting his sword and aiming for her heart. He smirked, and prepared to finish her off.

"Get away from her."

Danny had climbed to his feet again. He was limping towards the Warlord, summoning the very last of his energy.

"I swear, Phantom, you don't know when to quit," spat the Warlord, "It would do you well if you just..."

"I said **_GET AWAY FROM HER!_**_"_

The boom of the Ghostly Wail smashed into the Warlord.

The temple was ripped to shreds, blocks of marble torn from their foundations. The roof crumbled and was blown away. Elsmere leapt out of the way and Sam clung to the ground, but the Warlord was lifted into the air and buffeted by wreckage. He was thrown into the upper half of the temple, colliding with the wall with such force that the whole thing collapsed and obscured everything in dust.

Danny fell to his knees, the last of his energy gone. He reverted to human form. In the dust, he could just see the Realm Divide lever, visible though the haze. He extended an arm and began to crawl.

"I'll confirm he's out, sir," called Elsmere, striding into the dust. Danny barely heard him.

Every single movement was torture – his every bone and muscle ached, and he felt more tired than he'd ever been in his life.

Suddenly, his hand knocked on something hard. He looked up to find a camouflaged helmet roll away from him.

Then the Warlord strode out of the dust, limping, covered in grime and very, _very_ annoyed.

"My, my, Phantom," he snarled, "You truly are an insufferable little son of a _wench_."

* * *

"Will somebody please deal with that tank?" bellowed Chester.

"Hey, you've got the enchanted armour!" snapped Dani, "_You_ do it!"

They, Spongebob and Sandy were huddled behind a bookshelf, trying and failing to think of a way to get past the tank. The whole plan had ground to a halt (again), and they had no idea where the others were.

"Well," said Spongebob, "I guess this is the end."

"Eh," shrugged Sandy, "We've been through worse."

Spongebob narrowed his eyes.

"Wait a minute," he asked, "What's that smoke?"

"That'll be the exhaust," replied Chester, "Why?"

There was a long silence.

"...oh no, I am _not_ going out there," snapped Chester.

"Indestructible armour, Chester," grunted Sandy, "You're going in, Chester. We _all_ are."

"Oh, _brilliant_," winced Chester, nervously.

"On three," hissed Dani, "One...two..."

There was a long silence.

"Ah heck with it, three!" exclaimed Spongebob.

They leapt out of cover and raced towards the exhaust.

Up the stairs, behind the tank, a door burst open. Jenny emerged, Dr. Wakeman right behind her.

"Get behind it!" shouted Dr. Wakeman, "It can't fire from the rear!"

Spongebob changed course, racing to the side. One of the turrets followed him, charging to fire – there was a metallic clang, and it stopped moving.

"...you heard her!" Spongebob heard Jimmy yell, "Run!"

The rest of the Nicktoons and Captain Richardson's team emerged from behind the rubble of the front of the building, running as fast as they can towards the back.

Spongebob and Dani reached the exhaust pipe. Dani jammed her staff into the pipe and dragged him back.

"Get back!" she thundered, "It's gonna blow!"

Spongebob dived into the ground and covered his head. There was a loud bang, followed by a very long silence.

Spongebob got up and turned around. The tank was now a smoking wreck, a very dazed Napoleon climbing down from the hatch.

"...well," he muttered, lifting up his hands, "Discretion is the better part of valour."

"How did you know it was weak from behind?" asked Cindy.

"They made me build it," replied Dr. Wakeman, "And their other tanks. Never rely on kidnapped labour, children."

"Guys," beamed Jenny, "This is my mom."

Jimmy glanced between Dr. Wakeman and Jenny.

"...you know, I thought you'd be taller," he muttered.

* * *

Danny gazed up at the Warlord, his face falling. He tried to get up, to stand up to him, but he couldn't find the strength.

"This is the end," snarled the Warlord, "No more getting up, no more last stands, no more deceptions. There is no Fletcher to save you now. It is just us, and soon it will be just me."

"Get away from him you wiener."

Timmy limped out of the dust, Cosmo as the Starflinger in his hands and Wanda as his backpack. He aimed at the Warlord.

"Wiener, am I?" sneered the Warlord, "Is that the best you have?"

"Come over here and fight us," demanded Timmy, "Or are you afraid of some ten-year-old kid?"

"I am not afraid of a child!" snarled the Warlord.

"Then prove it," said Timmy, "Come on, you and me."

"Timmy," wheezed Danny, "Don't..."

"Challenge accepted, boy," said the Warlord, stepping over Danny.

Danny felt something lift him as he tried to reach the lever. He looked up – Sam was limping towards the lever, carrying him on her shoulder.

"Any last words, boy?" demanded the Warlord, marching up to Timmy.

"Yep," replied Timmy, "I'm Timmy Turner, and I am not afraid of you."

The Warlord extended an arm.

"Charming," he growled.

The burst of ectoplasmic energy slammed into Timmy, throwing him into the air. He slammed back into the ground with great force, sending dust and smoke pluming into the air.

Timmy lay in a crater, covered in bruises, grime and wounds, looking up at the swirling sky. The Warlord strode up to him, arms crossed.

"Well?" he demanded, "What did that prove?"

"Heh," Timmy chuckled weakly, "You lose."

The Warlord turned around. Danny's hand was on the lever, Sam's hand on top of his.

"Boy, don't you dare..." shouted the Warlord.

Danny pulled.

There was a sudden gust of wind, and a rip in space of time began to open behind the Warlord. On the other side, there was nothing but a white void.

"No!" exclaimed the Warlord, "Mercy! Please!"

Danny looked at him. His eyes were a pure, irisless green.

"I gave you a chance, Alexander," he said, his voice echoing.

The rip opened up, and the Warlord was lifted off his feet. He screamed as he was sucked into the void.

* * *

The keep began to shake, and Jimmy was nearly thrown off his feet. Outside, the sky turned red.

"The heck was that?" spluttered AJ.

"He did it," replied Jimmy, "It's the Realm Divide. We have to leave!"

He pressed a button on the recaller, opening a portal next to them. Using the confusion as a distraction, Napoleon slipped away.

"Wait!" exclaimed Tucker, "We have to wait for Danny! We can't just-"

"He'll meet us there, Tuck, now come on!" shouted Jazz, grabbing his backpack.

"No! I can't leave them!" shouted Tucker, "We have to _wait!_ We have to..."

"_Move!_" thundered Cindy, dragging Tucker by the collar into the portal.

* * *

The portal emerged in the first aid house. Tucker broke free from the group and ran for the door, brushing past Atkinson and Fury, who were looking up at the sky in astonishment. A white portal had opened up in place of the Warlord's, and his army was being sucked into it en-masse. On the roof above them, the Syndicate (currently in the middle of a rather nasty beating from Vlad) shuddered as shades were sucked out of their bodies.

He raced down the street, jumping down into the Fenton's lab. He landed badly but quickly recovered, racing towards the Fenton Portal. He stopped in front of it.

The portal was fizzling and sparking, going haywire as the swirling mass within began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster. There was a low whine as parts of the metal casing began to fall off – the console began to smoke.

Then there was a loud bang, and the portal died away. Tucker ran into the portal and slammed his hand on the 'ON' button. Nothing happened.

He pressed it again and again until he found himself being dragged out of the portal.

* * *

In New York, police officers and soldiers emerged from their dugouts, looking around in disbelief at the now quiet streets. Slowly, it began to dawn on them – it was over.

In Moscow, civilians and soldiers slowly began to cheer, one by one. They danced, cried, shook hands with one another, celebrating the end.

In Beijing, an impromptu street party was beginning to break out as people left their shelters and hideouts. It would not end for several days.

In Canberra, one by one, parties of soldiers and police began to set off green flares to indicate that the fighting was over. The streams of smoke wafted into the air, contrasting the late evening sky.

The nightmare was over.

* * *

Sam backed away from Danny, who was still pulsating with power. His eyes were still pure green.

"He was wrong," realised Danny, "I don't get the _power_ of the Ghost Zone...I _am _the Ghost Zone."

"Danny, we-we've gotta get out of here," reminded Sam.

"The divide is over, Sam," replied Danny, "The recaller won't work anymore."

He looked over at Timmy. The boy lay in the crater, his eyes closed. Cosmo and Wanda lay beside him.

"I won't have this power for long, Sam," said Danny, "But right now, with all this power...I can do anything."

"You're creeping me out," gulped Sam.

"I can see them," continued Danny, "The strands between worlds and all the portals and connections between them. I can see us stranded here forever – I can see Timmy fading away..."

"Danny?" asked Sam.

"...and I can say _no_," finished Danny.

He raised his arms, and energy pulsed into the sky. A white mist began to build up around them.

"The Man in the White Suit was wrong," said Danny, "We're not trapped."

He smiled.

"We're going home."

There was a loud boom and everything went white.

* * *

Tucker was walking slowly back to the house. Jazz was behind him, arm around his shoulder. Both had been crying.

"Look, I know it sucks," said Jazz, "But he did what he had to do. For all of us. We'd do the same for..."

She trailed off as a swirl of white energy appeared in front of them. It spun around, creating a suction effect with the nearby wind.

"...what in the name of?" exclaimed Jazz.

Then there was a crack, and suddenly they weren't alone. Their jaws dropped.

Danny stood in the street, flanked by Sam and Timmy. They were all very much worse for wear – Danny's jumpsuit was basically ruined. Timmy was looking down at his hands, whispering something about not being dead.

"...well," said Danny, his voice slightly high-pitched, "Timmy's not dead, we're not trapped, I'm not Ghost Zone anymore...I'd call that a success."

He grinned broadly and immediately passed out.

* * *

AN: It is way past midnight what am I even doing

Right, we've got one more chapter and an epilogue, and then we're done. That actually makes me feel a bit sad, to be honest.

Anyway, hope you liked it!


	18. Chapter Seventeen: The Beginning

This it it! Just the epilogue left!

Review replies;

**LightandDarkness Warrior:** And there was much rejoicing. _Yaaaaaay_. Thanks for reading!

**SOLmaster:** Well, thank goodness for that - I find writing action sequences extremely hard, so it's really rewarding when they work. Thanks for reviewing!

**Autobot-Outcast****:** Nah, Clockwork what get through it, he bends rules for a living. Thanks for the review!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Yeah, that's a pretty good guess. ;) Thanks very much!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Aye, it will be a shame to end it, but all good things is not gold. Or something. Thanks!

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: The Beginning**

"So what exactly happened, Mr. Fenton?"

Atkinson leaned over the desk in Mr. Lancer's office, his eyes piercing Danny's. Almost as soon as he'd returned to the house, with barely time to let everyone know he wasn't trapped, he was immediately grilled by everyone from Nick Fury to UNIT. All of these officials wanted to know one thing, and all of them got the same answer.

"It's hard to describe," replied Danny, "When I touched that lever, I just had this..._surge_ of power, and I felt like I knew things that I didn't before. It was like me and the Ghost Zone became one."

"And what did you learn?" demanded Atkinson, "What knowledge did you get?"

"...I can't remember much," replied Danny, shrugging, "It all disappeared after we left the Ghost Zone."

Atkinson sat down, nodding curtly.

"You're a poor liar, Mr. Fenton," he grunted.

"I'm not lying," insisted Danny.

Atkinson raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"How did you know so much about the Realm Divide?" asked Danny, "I mean, I know you were watching the Man in the Whi-Romulus, but you can't have gotten that much from him, can you?"

Atkinson gave Danny the ghost of a smirk.

"I'm an intelligence officer," he replied, "I have agents to tell me these things."

He stood up, turning to the window. He tucked his hands behind his back.

"I will tell you, though," he continued, "I've kept a litany of things from you, but I assure you, I kept Dorian in the dark as well. He did not lie to you."

He was quiet for some time.

"You may leave now, Mr. Fenton."

Danny got up quickly, glad to be able to leave.

"Incidentally," said Atkinson, causing Danny to stop just before the door, "You dealt with Romulus – so what about _Remus?_"

He chuckled to himself as Danny left the room.

* * *

Danny stepped out the front doors of the school to be met with rapturous applause. He smiled awkwardly as he walked down the steps, unsure of how to react.

He passed through the crowd outside, drifting through various people offering him congratulations ("Good work, Mr. Fenton...I think you've earned an extension on your homework."), offers ("Mr. Phantom, we think we could use you in UNI-" "No." "Okay, I tried.") and apologies ("You're okay, Fentur-ton.") until he eventually reached what he was looking for.

Jimmy, Timmy, Jenny and Spongebob were standing next to the wall around the corner, away from the crowd. Jimmy was fiddling with the hypercube – he looked up as Danny approached.

"So how's it feel being a hero?" he asked, smirking.

"Hey, come on, you guys are heroes too," replied Danny, grinning, "I mean, if you hadn't come after me..."

"What did you expect?" exclaimed Spongebob, "We're a team!"

"And _you_," snapped Timmy, "Are never allowed to leave us behind again. Got it?"

Danny's smile faded and he looked at his legs.

"...that's what I wanted to talk to you about," he sighed.

There was a long silence.

"Danny?" asked Jimmy.

"I'm a king," replied Danny, "I took on the emergency powers. I have a duty now."

"But I thought you lost them!" spluttered Jimmy, "I mean, they were only temporary, weren't they?"

"Bonding with the Ghost Zone was temporary," corrected Danny, "But that's not the only thing that happened."

He clicked his fingers. A small ghost portal appeared next to him. He clicked his fingers again and it vanished.

"But...but...you have a life here!" exclaimed Jenny.

"Jimmy, my house got destroyed and everybody knows who I am," snapped Danny, "The only reason the news guys aren't here is because the roads are taken up by army supply trucks. Besides, if I won't be king, who will?"

He shook his head.

"I talked to mom and dad," he said, "They're ghost experts, moving to the Ghost Zone would be a massive opportunity for them. So we're gonna move into Pariah's old keep."

"Well, it's gonna need some renovating," muttered Jenny.

"So," muttered Spongebob, "I guess this is goodbye?"

"Goodbye?" scoffed Danny, "Dude, I'm only ever gonna be a portal away. I just won't be able to join up with you guys as much as I used to. I'll always be there for you, if you need me."

"Danny boy!"

Jack raced up to Danny, carrying a duffel bag over his shoulder. When he reached his son, he began to run eagerly on the spot.

"Okay so a lot of our stuff got wrecked but we can rebuilt that," he said excitedly, "I got the ecto-dejecto, half the weapons vault, the Ghost Gabbler – can't forget that – and I brought..."

Maddie walked up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Jack, let him talk to his friends," she said, "We'll go in a minute."

Danny smiled at his parents and turned to his friends.

"Well, this is it, guys," he said, "I guess I'll see..."

He shook his head.

"...ah, the heck with it!" he blurted, "Hug time!"

He embraced his friends in a tight hug, grinning widely even as he started to tear up.

"We'll miss you, Danny!" exclaimed Spongebob, hugging back.

"Considering that you can make portals now," said Jimmy, "Getting emotional over this farewell would be highly illogical, and..."

He started to cry too.

"...and I've ruined it. Here it comes."

"You're not leaving us out, are you?" demanded Sam, as she, Jazz and Tucker approached and joined the hug.

The hug lasted for several minutes, and by the time it ended, the whole group was cried out and hugged out.

"So," said Danny, stepping back out of the hug, "If you guys ever need a job or something, I could _really_ use some advisors."

"Just call me Special Advisor Foley!" exclaimed Tucker, raising his arm.

"Oh no you don't," snapped Maddie, "No hiring your friends until they finish high school, young man."

"_Yes, mom._"

* * *

Vlad strode into his mansion, the Syndicate dejectedly following after him.

"Well, gentlemen, this matter has been a complete fiasco," said Vlad, walking straight towards the kitchen and pouring himself a glass of water, "But I think we can salvage this."

"Oh, why bother?" grumbled Calamitous, collapsing into a heap against a wall, "We've lost so many times I can't even remember what winning feels like."

"One cannot remember what one has never experienced," sneered Vlad.

Calamitous glared at him.

"But I have a theory," continued Vlad, "We need to branch out. The four of us are not enough."

"Then what do we do?" asked Crocker, "Does it involve..."

"It does not involve fairy god parents in any way, shape or form."

"...oh."

"No, we need to _franchise_," explained Vlad, "To hire every opportunist and like-minded individual in the multiverse and bring them into our fold. We need to treat the Syndicate like a business, with employees and everything."

"Aw, that sounds _hard_," moaned Plankton.

"Yes, but it will be rewarding," grinned Vlad, "I've heard a lot about an enemy of the robot – Vexus, I believe – we can start there. Who's with me?"

Calamitous climbed to his feet, dusting himself off. He grinned nastily as he thought over Vlad's plan.

"Well then," he sneered, "Let's..."

"Franchise?" suggested Crocker.

"The pause was for dramatic effect, you dunce!" snapped Calamitous.

He shook his head.

"In any case," he snarled, "The Syndicate is back."

He laughed manically, unaware of the rest of the Syndicate backing away awkwardly at the outburst.

* * *

"So," asked Steve, "How're you doing?"

He and Tony were in the infirmary aboard the helicarrier. Tony was in a bed, several bandages wrapped around his limps, but he was recovering.

"I'm fine," replied Tony, "Nothing really hurt but my ego...actually, no, nothing hurt at all. Nothing can hurt my ego."

"So, the RERE guys sent a fruit basket," grinned Steve.

"How many hidden cameras?"

"Four, but I took them out."

Tony sighed contentedly and lay back.

"The only fruit basket I need has red hair cameras and is probably gonna be pretty cheesed off at me breaking all my bones again," he said.

"Occupational hazard," shrugged Steve.

"What, the broken bones or the irate partner?" replied Tony.

"Well obvious it's the bo..."

Steve trailed off.

"Walked right into that one, Cap," smirked Tony.

"Yes I did, Mr. Stark, yes I did," muttered Steve.

* * *

"Alright, Nicktoons, fall in!"

Jimmy walked into his lab, and the assembled Nicktoons sloppily raised to attention. It was a few days after the battle in Amity Park, and the Nicktoon leader was eager to get everything back to some form of normalcy. He strode over to his group, Goddard at his heels.

"Right," he said, slightly officiously, "As you know, our ranks changed up a bit lately. Danny is currently off being a responsible king or something, so we needed someone to fill his place. I'd also like to take this opportunity to welcome a new member to the main team."

He raised a ruler in his hand, holding it against his shoulder.

"Alright, guys, sound off," he barked, "Name and job."

"Timmy Turner," grunted Timmy, "Guy with holograms. Look, Jimmy, do we have to-"

"Spongebob Squarepants!" called Spongebob, "Bubble and amateur karate specialist, sir!"

"Danielle Fenton!" shouted Dani, "Acting gho-I mean, _full-time_ ghost!"

All eyes turned to the fifth member of the team.

"Jenny Wakeman!" called Jenny, "Tech specialist!"

"Glad to have you, Jenny," grinned Jimmy, "Fall out!"

Timmy rolled his eyes as the group spread out, gravitating towards the chairs in front of the VOX screen.

"Alright," said Jimmy, "We got a mission from one of our contacts – you might know him as King Danny. You guys may remember that Napoleon got away from us at the end of the battle? Well, we found him, and he's trying to take over a restaurant in Dimmsdale called the _Moscow Musketeer._ We're gonna take him in."

"You guys up for that?" asked Timmy, looking up.

There was a poof and Cosmo, Wanda and Poof appeared next to him.

"Right behind you, sport," nodded Wanda.

"Following you is our job!" exclaimed Cosmo, brightly.

"Poof!" squeaked Poof.

"Well, you heard 'em," shrugged Timmy, "Let's go."

"You wanna do the honours, Jen?" asked Dani.

Jenny looked over to Jimmy, who shrugged.

"Alright," grinned Jenny, "Nicktoons, Unite!"

She pressed a button on her recaller and a portal opened next to them. The group ran inside, leaving Goddard and the lab in silence.

* * *

The three ghosts watched the empty lab through the vortex-window. As Goddard curled up next to a chair and went to sleep, the younger ones turned to the other, much more ancient one.

"Well, Phantom," asked Clockwork, shifting into his old form, "What do you think?"

Danny smiled, putting an arm around Sam's shoulder.

"They're gonna be _fine_," he grinned.

* * *

AN: Hang on a minute, _where's Tak?! _:P

A few things I want to clear up before we go on to the epilogue;

- Danny's not going to stay in the Ghost Zone and never return and be stuck there or shun Earth like most King!Danny plots seem to go. In fact, I'd liken it more to a more mythical version of going to college. He can see his friends whenever he likes, but sometimes the workload gets in the way. Since he's not available all the time, somebody needs to do his job on the Nicktoon team, and who else but Dani? (Well, maybe Tucker, but he's lacking in ghost powers.)

- What the Man in the White Suit said is true, and things like the Ghost Portal (Danny's and Vlad's) won't work anymore. However, the Realm Divide has given Danny the powers to make his own portals, and theoretically new portals could be made.

- While I am ending this for now at least, I wanted to keep a few things open for new stories set in this universe, hence the whole Remus thing, Napoleon still being around and the Syndicate branching out. For now, however, the main series is over.

- If anyone has any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. If I've learned anything from writing, the 'lots of speculation from everyone' style of writing isn't satisfying, whereas answering questions is quite fun.

That's all for now, and I hope to have an epilogue ready tomorrow! :D


	19. Epilogue

Well, here we are at the end. *sniff* These stories...they grow up so fast!

Review replies;

**SOLmaster:** Nah, 'twas just a joke. I don't really know Tak well enough, I'm afraid. Sorry about that. Thanks for reading!

**Zim'sMostLoyalServant:** Yeah, I gotta be honest, I loathe angst, unless it's really well justified. Also...maybe. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Epilogue**

_Ten Years Later..._

"...the Neutron engine will provide power to hundreds of thousands of people at a fraction of the cost by using the energy of the Earth's rotation as a power conductor. Thank you."

Jimmy Neutron stepped down from the podium at Retroville University, tuning out the polite applause as he walked out the side door into his office. As soon as he was out of sight, he mopped his brow and took off the suit jacket that the university insisted he wear.

The last decade had been quite eventful, to say the least. Graduating high school at fifteen and university at nineteen, he had managed to get a job as a scholar at the local university. It wasn't particularly prestigious, but it wasn't busy either, leaving time for..._extracurricular _activities.

He left the office, having declined to remove his red bowtie (made him look smarter). Rubbing his moustache absently (he thought it made him look mature – Cindy had told him it made him look like a tool, but he ignored her), he walked out of the building and into the small courtyard outside. The yard was almost empty, what with classes being in session, save for one young man leaning against a wall.

"Was that fun?" grunted Timmy.

"I wish they'd stop making me repeat the same things," grumbled Jimmy, "I have a really nice thesis on quantum mechanics I wanna work on, I think it'll revolutionise..."

"Uh-huh," said Timmy, flatly, "Can we go now, Doctor Science?"

"Yeah, sure," shrugged Jimmy wryly, "Wouldn't want you to die of boredom, huh?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the recaller – worn and faded from a decade of use. Pressing a button, he created a portal.

"So," he asked, walking towards the portal, "What's with the tie?"

"What, this?"

Timmy glanced down at the loosely affixed pink necktie that hung around his neck.

"Well, you know, I thought I could possible fix up my image, you know, like some kind of..." he lied poorly.

"You're trying to impress Dani, aren't you?"

"You know me too well, Neutron."

They stepped through the portal and emerged in a futuristic looking room. A silver reception desk stood on one side, next to a large steel door – on the other side was a window overlooking the Planet Earth.

"I still don't think we needed a satellite," said Timmy.

"Just because we don't _need_ it doesn't mean we don't _want_ it," chuckled Jimmy.

He walked up to the desk.

"Any messages, Eustace?"

The receptionist turned around on his chair, revealing himself to be Eustace Strych, glad in a smart red jumpsuit and black cap.

"Ah, James!" exclaimed Eustace jovially, "The university has finally freed you, has it?"

"That it has, Eustace, that it has," replied Jimmy, smirking as he shook Eustace's hand.

"A few messages today," nodded Eustace, "RERE sent a message – a Colonel Simmerson wants access to the-"

"Tell him he cannot have access to the satellite," interrupted Jimmy, "If he complains, take it to Brigadier Atkinson. Anything else?"

"Calamitous escaped prison again this morning, but Team Three handled it," replied Eustace, "The Guys in White want us to hand over ghost captives, we told them no – oh, and Ms. Vortex sent a message. She says – I am quoting this – if you do not turn up at 6pm tonight, don't bother returning to Retroville as she _will_ hunt you down."

"Duly noted," muttered Jimmy, ignoring Timmy snickering, "One more thing. I called a meeting today, is it..."

"Team One is behind that door, old chum," nodded Eustace, pressing a button, "Now, are you perchance free this weekend? I was wondering..."

"I'll get back to you, Eustace," replied Jimmy, "I've gotta handle this first."

He strode through the metal door and into a long grey corridor.

"You and Eustace are friends," muttered Timmy, "Who would've thought it."

Jimmy rolled his eyes but smirked all the same.

"So, where are Cosmo and Wanda?" he asked.

"I gave them a day to themselves," shrugged Timmy, "They need it, what with Poof in school these days."

Reaching the end of the corridor, Jimmy reached a door and swiped a key-card. The room they entered was small – a single round table with five chairs, three occupied.

Spongebob was to the left of them, wearing a tweed jacket over his ubiquitous shirt and tie. He was leaning over to Jenny – upgraded to a taller, sleeker frame in recent years – and showing her something in his opened wallet. Dani was to the right, leaning back on her chair. She smirked as Timmy entered.

"So," she asked, raising an eyebrow, "You guys call the meeting and then you arrive last. How's that work?"

"Held back at work," explained Jimmy as he and Timmy sat down, "I'd hate to drag you all from Spongebob's baby pictures..."

Spongebob and Jenny jumped, having not noticed the other two enter. Spongebob quickly slipped his wallet into his pocket.

"...but I have an announcement for you all."

Dani opened her mouth.

"You already know what it is," continued Jimmy, "Please don't ruin the surprise."

"Whatever you say, Neutron," replied Dani, shaking her head as she leant back again. As she did so, she grabbed Timmy's hand – Timmy blushed a little, but didn't let go.

"I've been asked to deliver a message," said Jimmy, "It was sent direct to VOX."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it dramatically.

"The style is slightly antiquated," admitted Jimmy, "I keep telling him to modernise, bear with me."

He cleared his throat.

"The Ghost Zone Council of Elders – that is, the government of the Ghost Zone – cordially sends invitations to the following persons to attend the union between King Daniel the First, King of the Ghost Zone, Duke of blah blah blah etcetera, and the human Samantha Manson," read Jimmy.

He let this sink in for a moment before continuing.

"The invitation is extended to Professor James Isaac Neutron, Mr. Timothy Tiberius Turner, Ms. Danielle Fenton, Ms. Jennifer Wakeman and Mr. and Mrs. Spongebob and Sandy Squarepants, plus any guests these persons deem appropriate," added Jimmy, "They will attend as guests of honour by personal request of the wedding parties. Signed by the Chief Advisor to the King, Tucker Foley."

"Okay that's _way_ too many words for my attention span," said Timmy, "What you're basically saying is that there's a wedding and that we're invited, right?"

"Yep," nodded Jimmy.

"So, any guests we deem appropriate?" mused Spongebob, "Gotta be Patrick and Squidward."

"Are you _sure_ Patrick's appropriate?" quizzed Jenny, "I mean, that _last_ time we took him to a wedding, well..."

"That won't happen again," said Spongebob.

"...but he was _best man_, and he still..." implored Jenny.

"That'll do, Jen, he'll be fine," interrupted Dani, "I'm more worried about _you_, Turner."

"What about me?" pouted Timmy.

"You fell asleep last time," reminded Dani.

"I was fourteen," grunted Timmy, "It was years ago."

"When is it?" asked Jenny.

"Next Friday," replied Jimmy, "We're gonna have to get..."

The door suddenly opened. Eustace raced through, snapping to attention when he reached Jimmy.

"James!" he exclaimed, "Sorry to bother you, but there is an _urgent _matter we need to deal with."

"What is it, Eustace?" demanded Jimmy.

"The anti-fairies are loose on Hillwood," replied Eustace, "We have Ms. Grey and Mr. Membrane's teams on the ground presently, but they probably won't be enough. They need you, James."

Jimmy nodded.

"Well, here we go again," he shrugged, "Tell Val and Dib to hold on, we'll pick up Timmy's fairies and be right there."

He turned back to the team.

"Once more unto the breech," he said, smirking.

"That doesn't sound right," said Jenny, frowning.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we usually say something else," mused Dani, scratching her chin, "What was that again?"

"Of course, my apologies," chuckled Jimmy, pulling out his recaller, "Refresh my memory, guys?"

"_Nicktoons, Unite!_" shouted the group.

And with that, they went off to what they did best.

**The End**

* * *

This series was started in December 2010. It is now August 2014, which means I've been at this for almost four years. This story has lasted longer then some Presidents.

I was going to go on a long screed of thanking people, but honestly, I could never single anybody out for single gratitude because you are all equally awesome, like a French Revolution of awesome except without the guillotine and stuff. So I'd like to thank you all en masse, my faithful readers who kept me motivated to finish this story and do it to the utmost of my ability. I wish you the best in all your endeavours (unless they're illegal) as your reviews, long and short, are worth more to me then the contents of Fort Knox. Thank you, madams and sirs, thank you.

Actually, there is a reviewer I'd like to single out. To the guy who kept trying to spam every chapter of this story with the same basic sentence and over and over again, even after I blocked them, I would like to say that you _desperately_ need a hobby.

In any case, now comes the time to decide what to do next. I have no intention of stopping writing, so...watch this space. :)

Once again, I offer my sincere gratitude. Have a good day, evening, Opposite Day or whatever else you may be observing, and I will see you all on my next project. Au revouir and good night.


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